US and Israel agree $30bn arms deal
I read this article last week and was offended. For some reason I find this news horribly disturbing, biased and un-Christian. I’ve heard somewhere (and hope it isn’t correct) that HALF of the US’s foreign aid goes to Israel already. Now, here’s another 30 BILLION for arms, with a few more billions offered to Egypt and Saudi Arabia too. I laughed at the fine print that stipulated that 75% of it must be spent with American manufacturers.
Is it just me or is this kind of international ‘trade’ appalling on many levels?
- Military spending doesn’t make the world safer;
- the Christian Zionism that uncritically supports Israel is distorted;
- and the co-option of whole countries into the US Empire by lending them money is alarming.
This may be a direct move against Iran, but a bigger Israeli military means even more bad news for the displaced and oppressed Palestinians, and bigger guns watching the Wall.
Just thought I’d get that off my chest. It is a tad refreshing to be in a country that sees the plight of Palestine rather than thinking Israel needs a bigger military.
(oh, and as to me: I’m in Cape Town training as a monitor with PMG, and negotiating some work with the SACC Parliamentary Office. Went to the beach and swam and played Frisbee this weekend - I like this city already!)
1 comment:
Gareth, great blog!
I hear your concerns about the US / Israel coalition and for most of my life I have had a silent sympathy for this relationship as the one which will "keep the barbarians at bay and maintain the balance of forces in the Middle East."
I have grown up a bit now and have come to realise that the relationship between Israel and USA is based on 4 things:
1) The protection of Israel at all cost is being perpetuated by the religious right in America. There is a small, but very powreful lobby which believes that it is God's wish for us to prepare Israel for the Second Coming. A Jewish state on the Holy Land is more palatable to them than an anti-western arab occupation of "God's Land". The roots of arab anger are found in this fact.
2) Israel, through the diaspora have had a disproportionate effect on the parliaments, representative assemblies, commerce, public opinion, culture and geopolitical objectives of the western world. Many in power rely on 'Jewish' money for election campaigns, for taxes, for leadership, etc. I am both in awe of this power and a little nervous. Knowing that the Jewish population of the world numbers no more 7 millions it makes you wonder if any other nation can claim such power, gram for gram. It is akin to the Afrikaner nation (6 million) finding international protection, arms, resources and UN support for a return to apartheid.
3) Israel is a nuclear power. For many decades, this has allowed them to punch, threaten and coerce above their weight.
4) Without Israel, the western world will have no access to the oil riches of the middle east. Israel allowes for an USA presence in an area where 80% of the world's oil reserves are kept. With this presence, they are able to carry a big stick in the region. Without Israel, the USA would become irrelevant among the Arab nations.
Carel Venter
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