A Conservative Estimate of Total Direct U.S. Aid to Israel: Almost $114 Billion
Economic Grant Portion: $ 30,897,000,000
See US-Aid-to-Israel
Vice President Biden was greeted upon his recent visit to Israel with a poke in the eye. That poke in the eye was Israel’s announcement to build another 1600 housing units in East Jerusalem where mostly Muslims live. This is in addition to their last announcement of building more than 2000 housing units in similar Muslim majority neighborhoods.
Now, I am generally a supporter of Israel. I am also a supporter of a "Two State Solution". Israel’s constant building of Israeli housing in mostly Muslim areas of land captured in wars is provoking Muslims unnecessarily. The US has strongly requested the Israelis refrain from building in majority Muslim areas. Such building casts doubts on Israel's sincerity to negotiate a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem.
Israel's continuing housing expansion reminds me of the Lebensraum (we need more living room) policy of Nazi Germany. I call it the "I do it because I can do it and you can’t stop me" attitude of dictators.
Well I don’t much like people who act like dictators, even though they were democratically elected. Remember, Adolph Hitler was at first democratically elected. Robert Mugabe too was at first democratically elected.
I am not accusing President Netanyahu of being like Adolph Hitler or Robert Mugabe. I am saying that being democratically elected does not vaccinate one against straying from a democratic path.
It appears to be a dictatorial attitude of the Israeli government, that upon Vice President Biden's arrival in Israel. Israel metaphorically poked him, and thereby the US, in the eye with a stick, that is, the announcement of even more building in mostly Muslim areas by the Israeli government.
Perhaps we should say to the Israeli government and their "I do it because I can do it and you can’t stop me" attitude by making the following announcement:
"President Netanyahu, it seems that Israel is economically mature enough to squander money and provoke parties interested in a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem by building homes in areas of negotiation.
To honor this economic maturity this Administration, seeing that Israel has money to spare, has decided to withhold three billion dollars ($3,000,000,000) in economic aid we thought Israel needed.
This new US attitude might just give all parties to the negotiations the idea that the US is genuinely a neutral party in the Mid East and start serious negotiations.