U.S. Senate approves bill to bolster American-Israeli cooperation

[Jefferson23]

Bill increases Israeli access to weapons, encourages Israel’s entry into visa waiver program.

By JTA | Sep. 19, 2014 | 7:51 PM |

The U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill that would further enhance U.S.-Israel ties.

The bill approved Thursday, initiated by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), enhances Israel’s status as entitled to license-free defense technology, adds items to the weapons stockpile the United States maintains in Israel and which is available for Israeli use, requires increased congressional oversight to ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge, encourages U.S.-Israel cooperation on developing energy technologies and encourages Israel’s entry into the visa waiver program, which would allow Israel visa-free travel to the United States.

The latter provision had in earlier versions of the bill mandated such an entry, a central factor in holding up the bill over the last 18 months; the State Department had objected to Israel’s entry for a number of reasons, including a spike in illegal Israeli travel to the United States and discrimination faced by Arab and Muslim Americans entering Israel.

A similar bill passed the House in March. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which had made the bill must-pass legislation, encouraged both chambers to reconcile their bills and get it to President Obama’s desk for his signature. “This bill will dramatically strengthen and expand the U.S.-Israel alliance as a way to confront new threats and challenges in the Middle East,” AIPAC said in a statement.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.616754

[BillZBubb]

1. Disgusting. Totally disgusting.

This travesty is a green light to Israel to continue its apartheid policies.

[Jefferson23]

4. Pretty much, yes. n/t

[yeoman6987]

7. I am so glad and thankful to these wonderful Senators (not always but for this yes)

You have to look at the full picture. Israel is our number one Ally and needs to be protected at all cost. Too many countries want Israel destroyed. We need to ensure that does not happen. We might not be thrilled with some of their minor mistakes but overall Israel rocks!

[Scootaloo]

9. "Minor mistakes"?

Do tell. What registers on your list of "minor mistakes" Israel has made? i'm curious.

[yeoman6987]

12. Probably having too much patience with Hamas

Now Hamas is still here and will be repeating what Israel just went through again within the year. Restraint has been very disappointing.

[MFM008]

11. no they turned Gaza into rocks

With all the work that needs to be done, this should be as low on the list of priorities in the world. The full picture is pretty ugly, just do a search on Gaza war victims, or children killed in IDF attacks. Senate idiots.

[King_David]

2. unanimously

[Jefferson23]

3. Yep, no surprise. n/t

[Scootaloo]

10. Well, that's how it usually goes

Good proof that it's a bad idea - Republicans are always on board

[PFunk]

5. Yeah, it sucks. Didn't the US did the same to South Africa in it's later apartheid years

Further highlights how distant they are from the people they supposed to represent.

[Jefferson23]

6. Support from US citizens? That is dropping among the young, but for now, the status quo

marches on.

[King_David]

14. Study of young US Jewish adults finds nuanced support for Israel

Study of young US Jewish adults finds nuanced support for Israel

Read more: Study of young US Jewish adults finds nuanced support for Israel | The Times of Israel http://www.timesofisrael.com/study-of-young-us-jewish-adults-finds-nuanced-support-for-israel/#ixzz3DndN2AEM
Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook

[Jefferson23]

15. You understand the trend is not going the way Israel would prefer, don't you?

Yet even with these unambiguous resolutions emanating from the Senate, we find more and more evidence that support for Israel from the American public is slipping. A recent report in the Washington Post noted that “A new Pew Research Center poll is the second in the past week to show a huge generational split on the current conflict in Gaza. While all age groups north of 30 years old clearly blame Hamas more than Israel for the current violence, young adults buck the trend in a big way. Among 18 to 29-year olds, 29 percent blame Israel more for the current wave of violence, while 21 percent blame Hamas.”

http://www.salon.com/2014/08/01/millennials_are_so_over_israel_a_new_generation_is_outraged_over_gaza_demands_change

That level of nuance won't carry the day as the occupation continues.

[King_David]

16. With everything ISIS now,

You understand the trend is not going to be going any way at all ?

Israel is not going to be top of mind for Americans either way.

Except for the 16 of us posting in this forum and Mondoweis of course who have never been relevant outside this forum anyway.

[Jefferson23]

17. Side stepping the issue with ISIS won't change the trend of young Americans on Israeli policy

toward the Palestinians.

Let France know to stop talking about Israel. The Obama administration does not equate
Hamas with ISIS and they likely want a deal before they leave office.

France: Solution to Mideast conflict to be brought before UN Security Council
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/France-Solution-to-Mideast-conflict-to-be-brought-before-UN-Security-Council-375852

[King_David]

18. I'm talking about young Americans

And we shall see probably pretty soon too .

[oberliner]

19. I don't think most Americans care one way or the other

Certainly the ISIS folks beheading US citizens is not helping US public opinion of the "Arab World" generally, unfair though that is.

[King_David]

20. Yep yep

I don't think the Zionist entity or BDS is going to be on the front burner for quite a while to come .

It's all ISIS all the time .

( except for the Scotland interlude and the a royal baby )

[oberliner]

21. Is Ukraine already off the proverbial front page?

Seems like little attention paid to that ongoing crisis as well these days.

[Jefferson23]

8. With $550M in agricultural losses, Gazans going hungry

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Souad Motlaq joins a long queue in Gaza City to get aid from one of the charities that provides food to thousands of Gazan families suffering from food insecurity as a result of the recent Israeli war.

Motlaq was covering her head with a piece of cardboard to try escape the hot sun, sighing as she saw the queue was moving at a snail's pace. She told Al-Monitor indignantly, “This is the first time I have stood in a queue to get food aid. War alone forced me to do this.”

Her seven-member family can no longer obtain food due to its scarcity and skyrocketing prices, which have forced her to resort to relief organizations for food.

The Ministry of Agriculture's undersecretary, Abdullah Lahlouh, warned in an interview with the Palestinian news agency Wafa about the increase in the number of households experiencing food insecurity in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli aggression. Lahlouh said the rate of food insecurity was 58% before the Israeli aggression and was likely to rise.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/09/food-gaza-insecurity-israel-war-destruction.html#ixzz3DnJde4ZX

[oberliner]

13. "This is the first time I have stood in a queue to get food aid"

It's good to know that throughout the entire blockage and siege the people of Gaza never had to stand in line to get food aid. At least not this person.