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Melanie
1/12/2009 10:16 AM | Â I believe in religious freedom and tolerance. Â We should look at the question of how much money, effort, and lives the American government spends to effect the religious status in other sovereign states. Â The people of America, as private individuals, should have a way to spend their own private resources to effect these matters, instead of all of America as a federal government policy. |
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Moby
1/12/2009 10:19 AM | I concur with this idea. I thnk that we should continue our aid packages but the amount being given out needs to be re-evaluated. In the case of Israel, the high per captita is not justifiable when considering the full scope of US aid. |
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Bernie
1/12/2009 10:28 AM | It's always good to re-evaluate, to be open-minded, and relevant, and work toward change, where change is needed. But, to suggest that the United States does not benefit by its aid to Israel is not realistic. It's hard to take a stand, especially when it seems the tide turns in a different direction. So, the one thing that must guide us, as a free nation, is the facts. Propaganda should not lead the way. All one has to do is look at a map; look at that tiny piece of land called Israel, and then look at the huge area of Arab lands all around. It is necessary to ask a few questions: 1) In the last 60 years, could not the huge amount of Arab wealth go towards building proper homes and jobs for the Palestinians? 2) Why does this Arab support go to weaponry and trying to rid this small piece of land from Jewish control? |
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ro6206
1/12/2009 10:29 AM | Your position to abandon Israel's aid is disappointing but somewhat predictable given your positions during the campaign.  What is most disapponting is you would use the present state of the economy and its emotions and plitical impact  to advocate yor bias against Israel. |
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Babywash
1/12/2009 10:35 AM | I think there should be a listing of how much aid each foreign country receives, and then we can determine WHO or RATHER WHAT countries should possibly be getting in aid.
Without some guidelines, I don't know HOW we could make that determination. |
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Babywash
1/12/2009 10:38 AM | I think it should possibly be: Re-evaluate (Justify the amounts), aid to ALL countries, not just Israel. |
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peacenick
1/12/2009 11:07 AM | Israel's slaughtering of the Palestinians is obscene and immoral. You need to speak up loudly against Israeli aggression and work for peace of the blockade. Now there are over 900 Palestinians dead of which 275 are CHILDREN!! We need to stop all aid, especially sending them military weapons. |
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Ben H
1/12/2009 11:29 AM | I think the revaluation should be done to 0 dollars. I will not allow my tax dollars to support a bigoted and racist nation. My weapons killed those 900 people in the last 2 weeks, and my congress and president pushed resolutions that endorse the slaughter. My nation is controlled by AIPAC and a foreign nation. Israel just banned the only two Arab parties in Israel today before the national election. Democracy? No...Aparthied...Yes. Zionists are bigots because they believe they have rights above others. I believe in Human Rights everywhere. Hamas has committed War Crimes and so has Israel.  We shouldn't support either. |
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Ben H
1/12/2009 11:35 AM | This is my response to Bernie. If the United States and Europe actually felt horrible(which the should) for allowing the Holocaust to happen and for not taking action or allowing refugees before and after, then they should have set aside their own land for a new homeland. What guts it took for England to pull out of the Palestine while it was under their "protection" when they're soldiers were being killed by Jewish terrorists.  What guts it takes for our country to make a stand in someone elses back yard. We might as well have pushed out natives of Kenya or something to make a homeland.  Same concept.  Israelis now have a right to the land because they have lived their for generations, but I'll be damned if I'm going to support a one sided effort for peace in the Middle East.  |
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nospmiss
1/12/2009 11:46 AM | Foreign aid should be constructive and non-partisan. The aid should be based upon need and fairness. For example the disproportionate damage inflicted by Israel on Gaza should cause a redistribution of aid away from the government of Israel and into non-government organizations (NGOs) working to salvage and restore the communities of the Gaza. No aid should be given to any government that interferes with distribution of humanitarian aid by NGOs (both governments in this case). And those governments that deny delivery of humanitarian aid should be circumvented in those efforts with all available means. |
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rancher
1/12/2009 11:49 AM | I believe it is time to begin treating the Palestinians as human beings and respecting their choices made in free elections. They need their own country, free to live in peace without controls and invasions of their territory by Israel. It is time for us to tell Israel to remove their settlements, to come to the bargaining table with a workable plan to create a Palestinian nation or we will cease to be their lapdog and will withhold any further economic and military support until they comply. |
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HomeAlone
1/12/2009 12:12 PM | A more even-handed policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian confict is desperately needed.
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Texanbychoice
1/12/2009 12:14 PM | Like a lot of other issues, it is important for President Obama to relook at all fundamental issues - including our current (blind)Â support of Israel.Â
Our country needs to do what is right - in terms of our values and national interests. I am now convinced that the right thing is to free ourselves of the clutches of Israel special interest groups. For the past several years, we have paid an increasing price because of our blind support to Israel. We have been isolated in the world - even our traditional allies in western Europe have deserted us. We have lost our credibility.  We have squandered our precious treasure.
With economic challenges ahead of us as a nation, it is time to be more focused on US interests. And, ask our friend and ally Israel to back off from pushing us into positions that are not in our interests (and it turns out in their interests).Â
Â
If Israel refuses, its time for us to reevaluate - they want our money, our weapons, our veto in the UN, they need to pay for it. Mr. Obama, we are waiting for you to stand up. |
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Helpless
1/12/2009 12:46 PM | Definitely the money we've been giving to Israel for so long should be stopped and used for what's necessary here in our own country. Israel is not our friend and it is a theocracy. Our policy vis a vis Israel needs immediate reevaluation. |
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bleonard
1/12/2009 1:24 PM | Stop sending money everywhere!!! |
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gems
1/12/2009 2:20 PM | According to If Americans Knew at http://www.ifamericansknew.org/ in the fiscal year 2007, the US on average gave more than $6.8 MILLION to Israel EACH DAY and $0.3 million to the Palestinians. Why are we giving the 3rd richest country in the world millions each year? It's YOURÂ tax dollars and it should stay here in the US.
According to the Council for the National Interest (CNIF) 1.3 million American families lost their homes to foreclosures in 2007, meanwhile, billions of YOUR tax dollars continue to purchase beautiful homes with subsidized mortgages... in Israel
According to The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) Israel can not build settlements in land it occupies. Israel ILLEGALLY OCCUPIES the West Bank and Gaza. It can not demolish Palestinian homes and build its ILLEGAL settlements. http://www.icahd.org/eng/ |
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gems
1/12/2009 2:38 PM | I stated previously that Israel it the 3rd richest country in the world, but I looked at Wikipedia and it said it was the 27th sorted by GDP. |
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JohnBeyerlein
1/12/2009 2:54 PM | We should sealift humanitarian supplies to Gaza. If the Israeli military tries to stop them as they did with Cynthia McKinny's effort, let them deal with the sixth fleet. |
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omaka
1/12/2009 3:22 PM | Israel's violations of international law ,holocaust against  palestinians  ,and our economic crisis make it inelegible to aid from us.how could you ssee 900 innocent palestinians slaugtered and remain silent.Israel should be presuured to stop it's aggression against the palestinians and agree to a two state solution.  |
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Willbearsmom
1/12/2009 3:55 PM | I weep that my tax dollars are being spent to support the state-sanctioned murder of children. Israel has literally penned these people in a giant prison from which there is no escape and is bombing them. Half the population of Gaza is children. The result of this invasion is both monstrous and inevitable. We can no longer pretend to be on the side of right when we blindly support a nation who has used a legitimate security threat as an excuse to force a group of people into an Apartheid situation and then treating them like the objects of a grotesque canned hunt. There can be no excuse for bombing mosques and schools. If you saw a gunman firing at you from near a school, would you destroy it with a rocket, knowing you would kill dozens of children? What kind of monsters make the choice to bomb the school?
This is what happens when the United States commits atrocities and loses the right of moral leadership. We all need to stand up and admit that our government has been wrong, that this incursion by Israel is wrong, that this must be stopped.
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Angroid
1/12/2009 4:12 PM | Israel is strategic for the United States. This is why we supply them with top-shelf mortars to fire on Gaza (in our name), and top straegists and advisors on how best to control the predominate people of the region, the Palestinians.
It is our 51st state, our watchdog in the Middle East, a creation of Winston Churchill, and now even beyond that, into what has been since the Phoenicians the home of the Lebanese people.
Now what happens if we decide to cut out Los Angeles out of California, and make it the new Israel? Would we be willing to do that, to accomodate the Israelis?
Do you think there would be any trouble there?
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Anderoo
1/12/2009 4:54 PM | I'm for letting Israel fend for itself. Stop aid to Israel and you dry up some of the tributaries that feed what has been termed "terrorism." What is the difference between saying "The War on Terrorism" or "The War on Surprise Attacks that Invoke Fear?" |
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kendall
1/12/2009 5:39 PM | Â Israel is deliberately attacking aid workers and ships that would help the Palestinian civilians. They intentionally target areas where there will be high civilian casualties. The only way a solution can be reached is if there is dialogue. We need to open up multi-party discussions quickly. |
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warmonkey
1/12/2009 6:24 PM | Â I agree, but it's not the money. It is what they do with the money.
    Section 4 of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act says military items transfered to foriegn gvn'mnts to be used for LEGITIMENT self defence.Â
      Disarm Israel and blockade the roads, so that they can't get any more arms. If both sides are improvising bombs from sheet metal and fertilizer. 900 people,INCLUDING MANY CHILDREN, would not be killed in two weeks.
 This is an outrage. This has divided the whole world for far to long.  We are strutting around saying that we are trying to ,"solve the problems of the Middle East" And we are ARMING one of the sides.
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Somebody
1/12/2009 6:57 PM | We are jeapordizing our own security by our strong support of Israel.
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DrMike
1/12/2009 10:02 PM | Israel is the only country in the world where other nations can explicitly threaten its destruction (usually with the wholesale slaughter of its people) and this is considered acceptable. Yet the racist Hamas charter (read it, if you haven't) echoes the anti-Semitic tropes of the Klan and the Nazis. Every single Hamas rocket is launched to try to kill as many civilians as possilbe--but becuase Israel spends money ot protect its citizens, rather than using them as human shields, few die. Does that excuse Hamas for trying?
Which side echoes American values?
Support Israel. Oppose Hamas and all of its jihadist racist supporters. Support peace between Palestinians and Israelis, not the endless jihad of Hamas, |
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Amanda, LA
1/12/2009 10:53 PM | If we are truly to wage a "war on terror" we need to apply that standard to both our allies as well as our enemies. The slaughter of Palestinian civilians by U.S. funded Israelis qualifies as terrorism in my book. How can we proclaim a "war on terror" with our right hand while the left is giving money to a country that is committing terrorist acts on a near daily basis? Stop funding the bombing of schools, hospitals, and mosques, stop funding the slaugher of innocent children, stop funding Israel! |
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Hoping
1/13/2009 6:52 AM | My concern is that the US is escalating the arms race in the Middle East. According to Congressional Research Reports the majority ($2.3 out of $2.5 billion in 2007) of support we give to Israel are military grants. While these grants have conditions that state they can be only used for defensive purposes--the definition of "defensive" is clearly a matter of selective interpretation. Peace can only happen when everyone is safe, housed, fed and productive. It can't happen under the current conditions and war is not the answer. I would like to see a return of international law; a respect for the Geneva Conventions and the United Nations. I think it important to acknowledge that there is right and wrong on both sides and that as a result innocent people have and are being killed and wounded. I would to see an end to US supported blockades and economic sanctions as they only increase civilian suffering and hurt our image. I realize that this is a complex and difficult situation with a long and tragic history but the US needs to lead by example; we need to stand for what is right and just again. We can support Israel and we can support the Palestinians. The people want peace and a decent life. We need to improve communications and negotiate more effectively. We cannot delegate our interests to a third party. I believe that most people around the world want a better America to lead. The US government should not be afraid to allow Al Jezzara to air on our cable networks. We are a democracy and that should mean that we allow our citizens to hear different points of view, including the Arab point of view. Currently, those points of view are only available on the internet and through the BBC online. I don't think that selective news promotes the cause of truth and justice. |
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PwlM
1/13/2009 8:41 AM | US in a deep fiscal hole. How country that will have 2009 deficit in range $1.2T to $2T be in a position to subsidise any other country.
If we are so generous why don't subsidize Germany or Japan???
Besides, after recent events in Gaza it is morally wrong to sponsor this genocide.
Israelis became Nazis. Victim becomes oppressor. |
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Thwarted
1/13/2009 8:58 AM | For a member of a nation that occupies land stolen from the Native American tribes - sometimes erroneously called "Indians", to suggest that the Israelis should abandond their land in favor of Islamic terrorists is bizarre. Jews, alongside Arabs, have occupied the bulk of Israel for 3,700 years. The fact that a series of empires have occupied this area does not vitiate that fact.
Of course, it's tragic that so many innocents die alongside the guilty. That's exactly why Hamas hides behind the skirts of mothers with children.
Where were the cries of protest against Hamas rockets during the past seven years? Only when Israel decided to bring these rocket attacks to a halt was there a public protest.
Did you protest, even once, about the continual stream of rockets from Gaza, into Israel? |
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MY NAME
1/13/2009 9:42 AM | Congratulations Thwarted. Someone is finally taking a glimpse at what this is all about.
Hamas has been sending rockets into Israel - only where civilians are - only where there are innocent women and children. It is miraculous how few people have died.
Israel is protecting it's borders. It is being extremely careful to try and avoid hitting innocent people. THIS IS WAR. Tell Hamas not to use their children as shields. Don't be blind - Look at the actual videos at what is happening in Gaza.
As far as the support of the US - A) one hand washes another - you would be surprised how much Israel helps. B) Israel takes the aid to help the people. Once again look at truths and see what happens to the aid given to some other Middle East people....
America can only do well by supporting the only democratic country in the Middle East.
You will see what will happen, if the Middle East is overrun by the various, numerous
terrorist organizations in the Middle East. We have had attacks here before - they will
just keep spreading. Israel is doing a favor for everyone and putting their lives on the line.
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Capt. Bob
1/13/2009 10:37 AM | Â Muslims have other grievances against us,
 but none so just, so INFLAMMATORY, and
 so easily redressed as our funding for
 Israel's colonies on the West Bank.
                morrisbob@hotmail.com
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Eliyahu
1/13/2009 11:07 AM | It is true that U.S. aid to Israel is very generous, and not highly publicized. It also is true that this aid many times has been used to carry out policies that are in direct contradiction to U.S. policy and even U.S. interests.Â
Examples include the following:Â
- Building settlements on the West Bank when the U.S. and international law does not recognize Israel's right to this land.
- Taking weapons or technology developed at least in part with U.S. money and selling it to countries that might harm the U.S. interests, such as China.
- Using U.S. supplied arms to commit possible war crimes in Gaza (according to the UNHR Commission).
- Bombing U.S. funded infrastructure in Palestine (the International American School in Gaza has been bombed into the ground).
On the other hand, there also is generous U.S. aid to other countries in the Middle East, in particular Egypt. And this does not even mention the vast amount of money that has been thrown into the endless pit of Iraq or the complete and utterly futile piles of money flushed down the Pakistani toilet.Â
So I'm not sure simply "cutting aid to Israel" is the right way to look at this. For example, would Israeli public opinion or actions change drastically if U.S. aid were cut? Would cutting aid do more to bring about peace? Would it increase security?
The real challenge is bringing about peace in the area. This is primarily a political challenge, and not an economic or military issue.Â
Nevertheless, even if U.S. aid to Israel were to remain at the same levels, some consideration might be given to getting leverage for that aid, in particular as regards settlement activity, which is completely against stated U.S. policy, and to repeat also against international law.Â
As regards military aid, however, the fact is this: Israel doesn't need the U.S.'s or anyone else's permission to defend itself. Although highly regrettable, and in my view most certainly due to backfire, but the decision made by the Israeli government to attack Gaza was made after careful consideration, and under the belief that there was no other alternative to stop the rocket attacks.Â
We can all regret Palestinian casualties, and they certainly are horrible. But what is the responsibility of Hamas? They are sitting in Syria, in comfort, with electricity and hot water, and seem perfectly willing to fight against Israel down to the last Gaza resident, even when it is obvious that there is no possible way militarily to win. So what is their responsibility? If there is certain defeat, should Hamas continue to fight? Or should it try to get a ceasefire?Â
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shan
1/13/2009 11:37 AM | The United States consistent and unevaluated aid to Israel must stop. If Israel is the great country that so many people believe, it should be able to support itself without US help. Our continuation of giving them aid in the form of weapons is wrong. If they actually used the weapons for self-defense as per the US Arms Exportation Agreement of 1976, I would think otherwise, however, Israel has consistently used the weapons to abuse, imprison, and murder a large percentage of the Palestinian and Lebanese population. What has evolved is the "New Warsaw Ghetto" in Gaza and an abusive prison state in the West Bank. Anyone who believes that Israel has a modicum of benevolence in regard to its neighbors has failed to educate themselves to the facts. It should be clear to anyone who has done their research that Israel wants to own the entire area, and to displace the Palestinians or kill them. We fought racism in our country that wasn't nearly this bad yet we support it in Israel. I fail to understand why. If we are a moral nation, we WILL stop suporting this untenable situation and work for a diplomatic solution that provides peace and justice for the Palestinians as well as the Israelis. |
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precaffeinated
1/13/2009 12:35 PM | The United States cannot be an even-handed peace broker when it is giving away tens of billions of dollars to Israel every year to maintain military superiority in the region. With its military power, Israel does not feel the need to bargain in good faith with the Palestinians. All this money we Americans are spending on Israel is actually at cross-purposes with peace. It serves no purpose other than to buy military equipment, which Israel uses all-too indiscriminately against civilians. When Israel gets to the point they are spending 70% of their GDPÂ -- their own money -- on war, then maybe there will be peace in Palestine and Israel. We don't need to enable civilian bloodshed, and we can no longer afford it. |
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Dan outside the box
1/13/2009 12:50 PM | Bernie, what, exactly is the net benefit to the US of supporting Israel?
You'll need to do better than "they are our friend". We are talking about hundreds of billions of dollars over several decades, not to mention the economic effects of the 1973 oil embargo, and so on.
Sure, there are plenty of benefits to supporting Israel for American politicians, since Jews are an important voting block and source of campaign funding. There is nothing wrong with this: it's the way our system works.
But let's not kid ourselves. The strategic value of Israel to the United States is almost certainly a net negative. Even Bush had to nix their incredibly destabilizing plan to fly bombers over Iraq on the way to Iran. Forget the Iran part. Do you realize just how disastrous this would have been to us in Iraq?
Israel cares about Israel, which is fine. It's time the United States cared about the United States.
We have every right to impose urge a definitve peace solution to mitigate this cost to us. If they don't like it, no aid. Obviously the same goes for the Palestinians. Disengagement isn't so crazy, and it's cheaper. |
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Sue b
1/13/2009 2:22 PM | Israel is the only democracy within miles and loves the US.  Way more aid is going to Egypt where tourists are regularly a target.  When US ships dock in Israel soldiers rave about how great Israel is |
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fauster
1/13/2009 5:57 PM | Israel's eye for a thosand eyes foreign policy is hurting the palestinians, hurting the United States, and even hurting Israel. Terrorism will forever be a part of modern life. Not even Hamas can control every act of violence commited by Palestinians. We should make it clear to Israel that any future offensive acts against neighboring countries will result in reduced arms. These instrument in these thousands of death is U.S. weapons, and I'm ashamed that we're sending them more arms in the midst of their military action. Has George W. Bush taught us nothing? Bombing is not the cornerstone of a foreign policy that results in peace! |
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slumberdog
1/13/2009 6:29 PM | Lets stop giving aid to the Palestinians.  Palestinians cheered in the streets when 9/11 happened.  The US and Europe provide billions in aid to Palestine that goes to a corrupt and hateful government.     Let the Arab nations donate aid to them. |
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EliR
1/14/2009 1:21 AM | on the contrary - ISRAELÂ ISÂ THEÂ CHEPESTÂ buy for a secure off-shore, democratic, intelligent, advancing country, residing in THEÂ MOSTÂ PROBLEMATICÂ region of the world, and keeping American interest, at VERYÂ LITTLEÂ COST (p.s.: can anyone put a finger on the costs of Vietnam war, Iraq war,...?) |
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Awake
1/14/2009 5:05 AM | Our tax dollars are funding a massacre in Gaza while we remain silent. This is intolerable. |
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Eliyahu
1/14/2009 5:14 AM |  Is anyone watching the videos from inside Gaza? This is day 19. The vast majority of casualties are civilians. Doctors are reporting that ALL CASUALTIES ARE CIVILIANS. This really needs to stop. It is going far beyond any relationship to humanity. It is gross and horrible. It should be obvious that this war can not be won on either side by military force. |
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mna5
1/14/2009 7:01 AM | I don't see how the United States benefits from its aid to Israel.
Plain and simple: we simply cannot afford it.  Whether it's $3 billion or $5 billion a year, that's still $3 billion or $5 billion too much.
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Corny
1/14/2009 12:01 PM | It is time to cut off aid to Israel, which we can no longer afford to give. They are becoming
the Nazi's of the Middle East. Our aid just encourages them in their perfidy.
Opinion is beginning to shift against Israel in this country and about time. The first step
in reigning them in is to cut off that money supply until they start to behave like rational
human beings.Â
Corny
Â
Â
Â
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rick g
1/14/2009 12:18 PM | Where is the United Nations?
Why are there no peacekeepers in the West Bank and Gaza?
My understanding is that this idea has been brought up many times, but at the request of Israel, the US has vetoed any use of UN troops to act as peacekeepers inthe occupied territories. |
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Freedom 4 All
1/14/2009 12:22 PM | we need to Stop aid to Israel. did you not hear what they did to our Officials? :
"Olmert claimed earlier this week that he humiliated Rice by persuading U.S. President Bush to instruct her not to vote for it.".
they believe they are above US and they can humiliate and order our President around & humiliate us? they have no respect to anyone. They are arrogant people and they use all the aid to kill and terrorize civilians most of them children’s and women in Gaza. |
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goldengrain
1/14/2009 12:37 PM | Our nation and the British started this mess. I suppose the responsible thing would be to stay involved, but there comes a point at which Israel must stand on its own two feet, without US aid.Â
If the country cannot be self-contained, and operate on its own economy, we need to cut the apron strings.
I have heard that Palestinians could have created a Singapore by this time. I suspect that without US aid Israel would have to reshuffle its monies and would not be so pretty, either.Â
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ideaman7
1/14/2009 12:37 PM | Give the same amount of money, but instead of using it to buy weapons for their army, we should build the Dead Sea Power Project for them (and the Palestinians)Â instead. http://deadseapower.com/ |
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Zenjenn
1/14/2009 12:37 PM | IÂ would like to invite you all to read the statement issied by the Union for Reform Judaism about the current situation in Israel.
The URJ is politically liberal, yet recognizes that Israel, now more than ever, needs the support of the United States. While it is not of course feasible to financially and politically support every country in need, Israel represents a beacon of progressive ideas such as freedom, liberty, and human rights, in a pivotal region of the world that still advocates the torture, imprisonment, and even execution of homosexuals, women, Baha'is, and other people who have committed no real crime. The forces that surround Israel seek nothing less than its complete destruction.
Abadoning Israel would not be in our best interest, at least, to those of us who truly care about values such as freedom. |
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StantheMan
1/14/2009 12:48 PM | Apparently the U.S. has lost its sovereignty b/c of Israel, according to the NYÂ Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/washington/13olmert.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper
I should note that this isn't something new and has been going on for the past 40 years. |
