U.S.-Funded Israeli
Terror Escalates
by Leah Harris
December 2001/ January 2002
Volume 38, Number 10
The Israeli occupation of Palestine is madness without end. It is called
an escalating cycle of violence, but this obscures the fact that the
Israelis possess overwhelming military superiority over the Palestinians.
The Palestinians have used violent means to resist the occupation, but
that does not take away from the fact that Israeli soldiers are shooting
individuals with missiles, using American made F-16s and Tomahawk helicopters.
Tanks roll into small villages, supposedly to root out terrorists. But
so many of these so-called ÒterroristsÓ are small children - like Reham
Ward, the 10-year-old girl killed in her classroom in the town of Jenin
by a shell fired from an Israeli tank on October 18. Over 800 Palestinians
have been killed since the second Intifada began, 30% of them under
the age of 18. You get the sneaking suspicion that the goal here is
not to root out terror but to cause it.
Every American taxpayer is funding this occupation and these crimes
against humanity. The U.S. is the largest supplier of weapons to Israel.
Our tax dollars are used to provide Israel with billions of dollars
in aid and low-interest loans every year, most of which goes into the
purchase of tanks, F-16s, and helicopters used to kill Palestinians,
Lebanese, or anyone who is deemed a Òsecurity threatÓ to Israel.
According to a 1997 report issued by the Washington Report on Middle
East Affairs magazine, between 1949 and 1997, Israel received a mind-boggling
total of $74,157,600,000 in direct aid. This does not exclude other
forms of U.S. aid, which total $9,047,227,200, and interest to Israel
from advanced payments, which totals $1,650,000,000. When we say Òadvanced
payments,Ó we mean that aid to Israel is given in one lump sum, which
immediately begins to collect interest in U.S. banks (other countries
receive their aid in quarterly installments). The grand total is $84,854,827,200,
all borne by the U.S. taxpayer. ThatÕs $14,346 for each Israeli man,
woman, and child.
And as long as the U.S. runs an annual budget deficit, all of the aid
to Israel has to be raised through government borrowing. As an example
of AmericaÕs foreign aid priorities, Israel receives more U.S. aid than
nearly all of Latin America, the Caribbean, and sub-Saharan Africa combined.
This aid is going to a country whose standard of living nears that of
many countries in the European Union.
Usually the U.S. puts restrictions on how such foreign aid can be used.
According to the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, ÒU.S. supplied weapons
can only be used in self-defense.Ó Also, the U.S. foreign assistance
act prohibits military assistance to any country Òwhich engages in a
consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized
human rights.Ó Even though the U.S. State Department puts out scathing
reports every year on Israeli human rights abuses, Israel continues
to receive aid, in clear violation of our own aid restrictions.
On October 25 Israeli soldiers assaulted the small village of Beit
Reema, killing nine primarily non-combatant Palestinians. Just one day
after the massacre the U.S. Senate approved its annual aid package,
with Israel getting $2.76 billion, of which $2 billion will go to ÒdefenseÓ
purchases in the U.S. and the remaining $760 million will be in civilian
aid. In comparison, less than $300 million is allocated to fight the
scourge of AIDS in all of sub-Saharan Africa.
And in the coming weeks, more aid will be voted for Israel in the
defense department budget.
Most Americans donÕt know the truth: that their tax dollars are being
used to fund an illegal occupation, an ugly settler colonialism that
should have been a finished chapter in history long ago. The bottom
line is that without U.S. aid to Israel, the Israeli government would
not be able to keep up the occupation nor the brutal repressive behavior
that accompanies it.
Without U.S. aid to Israel itÕs likely that Reham Ward and many other
innocent civilians would still be alive today. This is the raison dÕetre
for the SUSTAIN campaign, which stands for ÒStop U.S. Tax-Funded Aid
to Israel Now.Ó
SUSTAIN focuses on the issue of U.S. aid to Israel, but we also speak
out against the occupation, demanding the return of Palestinian refugees,
the dismantling of Israeli settlements, and an Israel/Palestine in which
all citizens have equal rights. The SUSTAIN campaign was born during
of the second Intifada, and has been actively working to raise consciousness
among people in the U.S. through organizing teach-ins and rallies, participating
in conferences, and working with other progressive groups in the country.
SUSTAIN has worked to send delegations to Palestine/Israel so people
can see what occupation looks like for themselves. This grassroots organization
has grown to include more than 12 active chapters throughout the U.S.
This is not a pro-Israeli or pro-Palestinian issue. This is a pro-occupation
vs. anti-occupation issue. ThatÕs why there are Israeli groups such
as Gush Shalom who denounce the occupation, and Israeli-Palestinian
groups like TaÕayush (coexistence) who work together to provide humanitarian
aid to those Palestinians suffering under the Israeli blockade. There
are also a growing number of American Jewish organizations, such as
A Jewish Voice for Peace, Not in My Name, and Jews for Peace in Palestine
and Israel, who are loudly calling for an end to the Israeli occupation.
So you can see that criticizing the Israeli occupation and U.S. aid
to Israel is not anti-Semitic. In fact it is pro-Semitic, because a
just peace will bring true long-term security to all Semitic peoples
in the region, including both Jews and Arabs.
The deplorable events of September 11 have led ordinary Americans to
question, many for the first time, what their government is doing abroad
in their name and with their tax dollars. Our rallying cry should be
Ònot in our nameÓ as we struggle to pressure our government into pursuing
a more balanced foreign policy abroad and especially in the Middle East.
As poet Audrey Lourde said, ÒOur silence will not protect us.Ó
We encourage you to get involved; there are lots of resources for
activism on SUSTAINÕs website (www.sustain-campaign.org). To keep up
with SUSTAIN activities in the D.C. area, join the list serve at groups.yahoo.com/group/SUSTAIN-DC.
