[luaybs]

> Israel is not a part of the U.S.

The US sends $3.8B in military aid to Israel yearly...

[lostlogin]

It makes me laugh how it’s always described as aid.

If someone gave their friend a gun, would anyone ever call it aid?

[bushbaba]

That’s over simplifying it. but it’s not aid, more like strategic interests aligned. For example the U.S. aid prevented Israel from continuing development and selling its own fighter jets. It gives U.S. arms actual military exposure in dense urban warfare. There’s lots of joint benefits here.

[luaybs]

There is no benefit other than the profit made by the companies manufacturing this "aid", payed for by the American taxpayer via the US congress and government.

[nivertech]

Real aid must be provided with no strings attached.

Much of this so-called "aid" comes with the condition that it be spent in the US. This prevents us from developing our own weapons, selling them to whomever we want, and diversifying our sources of military supplies.

In addition, the US provides much more "aid" to our enemies.

Also, part of this "aid" is used to financially bribe our generals. Essentially making them American "Foreign Agents of Influence" in the spirit of FARA[1], not as literal spies. Unfortrunatelly we lack legislation like FARA, so it's still legal here.

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[1] https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara

[lostlogin]

> the US provides much more “aid” to our enemies.

Could you explain this? The US arms Israel’s enemies?

[nivertech]

The only real peace (aka "normalization") we have (had?) is with the UAE.

We only have "peace" with Egypt and Jordan on paper.

This is much worse than a cold war situation between the US and the Soviet Union back in the time.

Their armies still define Israel as their main enemy.

These countries are not safe for Israelis to travel.

In Jordan's case we only have "peace" with the foreign royal family imposed by Britain. And even that doesn't include their queen ;)

And yes, US provided and still provides military aid to terror group such as PLO, Fatah, even Hamas and PIJ (under the pretext of humanitarian aid).

US even removed Houthis from the list of terror group in order to give them money (and just recently put them back on the list).

Similarly with lifting sanctions on Iran, which resulted in giving them $10B.

---

  U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East:
  Historical, Recent Trends, and the FY2024
  Background Request
  Updated August 15, 2023

https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R46344

[JacobiX]

From the same report, "U.S. Foreign Assistance to the Middle East": Israel has been the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since World War II, receiving $158 billion. Jordan for example received $26.4 billion from 1951 to 2020.

>> Similarly with lifting sanctions on Iran, which resulted in giving them $10B.

In the case of Iran, it was not a matter of receiving $10 billion in aid, but rather the release of $10 billion of Iranian funds that had been frozen.

[lostlogin]

It’s so complicated.

Hamas was elected if memory serves, and while getting them to renounce violence would seem ideal, how could they? Israel wasn’t going to. They have behaved terribly and until someone starts behaving better, it’s going to carry on as it has for so long. Peace with Egypt has been maintained and relations with Egypt seem to be improving and are ok - what am I missing? There seems very little chance of war.

[lesuorac]

In the world where ask is a noun (and you wanted the gun), yes.

[luaybs]

well said

[wslh]

It is not too much if you think Israel is covering US military mistakes and cybersecurity (e.g. Iran).

[lostlogin]

Isn’t this policing of Iran needed because of the US supporting Israel?

I know there are other interests (oil), but the complete freedom to do anything that the US gives Israel is not entirely helpful to the US.

[wslh]

Isn’t this policing of Iran needed because of the US supporting Israel?

No, do you remember the terrorists attacks in USA and in Europe? Have you watched the Argo movie? Do you know about terrorist attacks in Latin America where Iran is involved? Seems people don't check history beyond Israel (21k km^2)and Jews (16m).

[sangnoir]

I remember the JPCOA and egging on the Trump administration to break the agreement and the subsequent escalations.