Congress votes $4 billion to Israel for 2021, press doesn't tell Americans

Congress just voted billions of dollars of U.S. tax money to Israel, No mainstream US media appear to have told Americans that both houses of Congress just voted massive aid to Israel, a tiny country with a long record of human rights abuses, violations of law, systemic racism, and damage to Americans.

This works out to over $7,000 per minute. The legislation passed both houses in such large numbers that Congress can likely override any potential presidential veto. This, despite the fact that George Washington warned that a ‘passionate attachment’ to a foreign country produces ‘a variety of evils…’

Press release from AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee)

“AIPAC commends the U.S. Congress for including significant pro-Israel provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. These critical provisions will help Israel protect itself against continuing security threats.

[Editor’s note: Israel has one of the most powerful militaries in the world and is the only country in the Middle East with nuclear weapons, which US officials are banned from mentioning.]

“Importantly, the measure includes the United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020 (S. 3176). This legislation authorizes $3.3 billion in annual U.S. security assistance to Israel through FY 2028, as called for in the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding on security assistance. The legislation also includes key initiatives to galvanize U.S.-Israel cooperation in a variety of military and civilian spheres (major provisions detailed below).

“Beyond the elements of the U.S.-IsraelSecurity Assistance Authorization Act, the bipartisan defense measure authorizes $500 million in FY 2021 for U.S.-Israel missile defense cooperation with explicit sums for both R&D and procurement for the Iron Dome, David’s Sling and Arrow missile defense systems.

“The bill also authorizes the Secretary of Defense to establish a U.S.-Israel Operations-Technology Working Group within the Defense Acquisition Advisory Group to focus on early R&D in key battlefield technology.

“The bill also encourages further U.S.-Israel cooperation in diagnosing and treating victims of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“In adopting these pro-Israel provisions, AIPAC appreciates the leadership of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-RI), Sens. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), James Risch (R-ID), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR) and Gary Peters (D-MI), and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry (R-TX), and Reps. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Ted Deutch (D-FL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Michael Waltz (R-FL), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Elaine Luria (D-VA), Lee Zeldin (R-NY) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA).

“Major provisions of the U.S.-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act include:

Authorizing $3.3 billion in annual U.S. security assistance to Israel through FY 2028, as called for in the 2016 U.S.-Israel Memorandum of Understanding on security assistance.
Extending authorization for the U.S. War Reserve Stockpile in Israel through FY 2025 and authorizing an additional $200 million annually in stocks.
Lifting current limitations on the transfer of precision-guided munitions (PGMs) to Israel in an emergency and authorizing the President to exceed the current limitation of $200 million on the transfer of PGMs in a non-emergency setting under certain conditions.
Authorizing the Secretary of Defense, following study, to establish a directed energy program with Israel.
Authorizing a total of $14 million for U.S.-Israel cooperation in energy, water, agriculture, cyber and alternative fuel technologies.
Authorizing $6 million over the next three years to finance cooperative projects among the United States, Israel and developing countries.
Authorizing $12 million over the next three years for an initiative to enhance partnerships between U.S. and Israeli companies to develop innovative medical projects primarily aimed at detecting, treating and curing COVID.”

Jewish Insider reports:

“…The bill directs the State Department and USAID to establish joint Arab-Israeli high tech projects and tasks other relevant U.S. agencies with exploring joint U.S.-Israel space exploration [Despite accusations of Israeli espionage] desalination and post traumatic stress disorder research initiatives.

“A push by Senate Democrats over the summer to include an amendment preventing Israel from using U.S. security assistance funds to unilaterally annex territory in the West Bank was defeated.

“President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to veto the bill if it does not include a repeal of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which indemnifies internet companies against certain types of lawsuits, and has also objected to an amendment that would rename 10 military bases whose names honor the Confederacy.

“Congress has not moved on either issue, but the large majorities by which both bills passed have led observers to expect lawmakers will be able to override a potential veto.

“Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) delayed the expected passage of the bill on Thursday in protest of a provision that would limit the president’s ability to remove U.S. troops from Afghanistan.”

George Washington warned against passionate attachments to foreign nations

In Washington’s Farewell Address he stated:

…nothing is more essential, than that permanent, inveterate antipathies against particular Nations, and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The Nation, which indulges towards another an habitual hatred, or an habitual fondness, is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interest. Antipathy in one nation against another disposes each more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage, and to be haughty and intractable, when accidental or trifling occasions of dispute occur. Hence frequent collisions, obstinate, envenomed, and bloody contests. The Nation, prompted by ill-will and resentment, sometimes impels to war the Government, contrary to the best calculations of policy. The Government sometimes participates in the national propensity, and adopts through passion what reason would reject; at other times, it makes the animosity of the nation subservient projects of hostility instigated by pride, ambition, and other sinister and pernicious motives. The peace often, sometimes perhaps the liberty, of Nations has been the victim.

33 So likewise, a passionate attachment of one Nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite Nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest, in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter, without adequate inducement or justification. It leads also to concessions to the favorite Nation of privileges denied to others, which is apt doubly to injure the Nation making the concessions; by unnecessarily parting with what ought to have been retained; and by exciting jealousy, ill-will, and a disposition to retaliate,in the parties from whom equal privileges are withheld. And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens, (who devote themselves to the favorite nation,) facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity; gilding, with the appearances of a virtuous sense of obligation, a commendable deference for public opinion, or a laudable zeal for public good, the base or foolish compliances of ambition, corruption, or infatuation…

See information on the bill here and here, including how members voted.

The Israel lobby is the most influential and pervasive lobby for a foreign country in the US. While US media report on Israel in a consistently Israel-centric manner and often portray it as a victim, the fact is that Israeli forces have killed and injured far more of its adversaries than the reverse. US media omit the fact that Israel was established through a war of ethnic cleansing of Muslims and Christians, and it continues this today.]

UPDATE: Trump vetoed the bill on Dec. 23 (citing other reasons); Congress is expected to override it.

Compiled and edited by Alison Weir, executive director of If Americans Knew, president of the Council for the National Interest, and author of Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.

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