Monday, July 11, 2005
$2.2 billion in very annoying aid
Israel will ask the United States for $2.2 billion, one of the largest aid requests by the Jewish state, to pay for its planned withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip, Israeli political sources said on Monday.
The special funding would be used to pay for the evacuation, slated to begin in mid-August, of all 21 Jewish settlements in Gaza and four of 120 in the West Bank, and the relocation of the 9,000 settlers to underpopulated areas of Israel.
Even if this is just a down payment on a much larger nut (probably north of $20 billion) that we will have to pay to resettle Israelis who have moved to the West Bank, it is a good value. Israel cannot afford to relocate 5% (including the West Bank settlers) of its population without substantial foreign aid (the equivalent relocation in the United States would involve 15,000,000 people). Also, even if it could afford it, the cost might well shift the sensitive political consensus just enough so that the withdrawal would never happen. Therefore, somebody will have to cough up the money, and that somebody will be the United States.
Nevertheless, it is extremely annoying. Those settlers are there over at least the formal objection of the United States. They may well have increased Israel's leverage over the years and ultimately enhanced Israel's security, but that does not make it any less galling that the American taxpayer will now have to pay for their relocation.
5 Comments:
By 
, at
Mon Jul 11, 01:49:00 PM:
Let the "UN" pay for this in stolen Oil-for-food monies. Whether we pony up 2 or the entire 20 billion, it shouldn't fall on Uncle Sam.
If anything, toss in another $100 million in guns and ammo and let 'em OK corral it and settle up.
By 
TigerHawk, at
Mon Jul 11, 01:55:00 PM:
We sort of do that already. The Israelis spend a good chunk of their usual annual aid package on American weapons.
As I said, the aid is "worth it," I think, as a means for pushing Israel to the right result, which is withdrawal on Ariel Sharon's terms. But it is still annoying.
By , at
Mon Jul 11, 05:39:00 PM:
I disagree with it. I'm a fan of Israel's,but DAMMIT,if Israel cannot operate based on their own ability to fund their normal things,they need to EMIGRATE back to NYC and forget the idea of having their own freaking state.
IMO,we're tapped out anyway,they can pay for it themselves,I'm happy to allow them military arms,but I flat disagree with paying their way for anything else.
By , at
Tue Jul 12, 05:29:00 PM:
Maybe the needed funds should come out of the 3(?) to 9 (?) billion promised at G8 to the PA.
alene
By Lanky_Bastard, at
Tue Jul 12, 07:20:00 PM:
I wish our government would pony up 240k to move me out of the dangerous place where I live.
It really strikes me as bizzare: the thought that $10 from every man, woman, and child in the US will (might? should?)essentially go to buying a bunch of houses in a foreign country, bulldozing them (needlessly), and giving away the land.
I guess it's worth it if it lowers the overall level of world hatred and makes life safer for our children, but it's also a lot of money that could be spent here. That's more than the budget for the entire FDA.
