Israel, U.S. begin discussions on renewal of foreign aid package

[Purveyor]

By Shmuel Rosner, Haaretz Correspondent

Israeli officials have been discussing over the past few months how much financial aid Israel should request from the United States in the coming years.

---snip---

The financial aid issue is on the table once again because the previous agreement expires this budgetary year, after being in effect for a decade.

---snip---

Initial talks on a new financial aid package indicate that both the American and Israeli governments are interested in renewing the aid in an "orderly manner," as one person familiar with the issue put it, rather than returning to the system whereby Israel has to renew its aid request every year.

---snip---

The Foreign Ministry convened a group of external experts, including former Israeli ambassadors to the U.S. Zalman Shoval and David Ivri, a few weeks ago to discuss some of the issues related to bilateral relations. The participants agreed that the Bush administration has been one of the friendliest to Israel and that there is an advantage to making agreements with U.S. President George W. Bush before he is replaced by someone else.

---end of excerpt---

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/823270.html

[Megahurtz]

1. Oh Good God.

:eyes:

[burythehatchet]

2. Where can I send a check?

[Purveyor]

4. This would be a good start...

The Carter Center
Attn: Office of Development
One Copenhill Avenue
Atlanta, GA 30307

[burythehatchet]

6. Been done. Carter Center is 5 miles from my house.

[acmavm]

3. No aid. None. Zip. Israel is not a friend to the US. Just the

neocons.

[leftchick]

5. and a lot of

democratic neocons like hil and bill and biden and on and on....

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Will any of the serious Demcratic candidates for President say this?

:shrug:

[ohio2007]

18. no

they will not discus this hot buttonin public

[Ezlivin]

7. This is illegal according to our own laws

NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION PREVENTION ACT OF 1994 (April 30, 1994)

Sections 821 and 824 mandate sanctions against any person determined to have helped a non-nuclear-weapon state acquire nuclear material or devices. The sanctions prohibit any such person from bidding on U.S. federal government procurement or from dealing in federal bonds.

Section 825 prohibits the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) from providing credits to any country that helps a non-nuclear-weapon state acquire nuclear devices or materials.

Section 530 prohibits U.S. foreign aid to non-nuclear-weapon states that violate International Atomic Energy Agency agreements or bilateral nuclear cooperation agreements.

The law also amends the Arms Export Control Act in a number of ways. It prohibits U.S. government sales of munitions and defense services to countries violating nuclear non-proliferation agreements. It prohibits foreign aid to any country that receives or delivers to another country nuclear enrichment materials or technology without proper safeguards or that attempts to export illegally from the United States anything used to make nuclear weapons. It also requires a number of sanctions against both sides in a transfer of nuclear devices, components, or designs from any country to a non-nuclear-weapon country.

Israel is implicitly a non-nuclear-weapon state. Even though it is widely known that they have nuclear weapons, Israel is not a signatory to the NPT.

[ama]

10. you

Anti-semite:sarcasm:

[Ezlivin]

11. I almost spit out my knish

Shalom!

:)

[donkeyotay]

9. There's an understatement. They can have him. He doesn't work for us.

"The participants agreed that the Bush administration has been one of the friendliest to Israel and that there is an advantage to making agreements with U.S. President George W. Bush before he is replaced by someone else."

[Dudemachine]

12. It's only a matter of time...

...until the Israeli government suggests that Israeli citizens are given free access to, and full usage of, US citizens bank accounts.

[ddbaj]

13. So sickening...

So many places where such aid could do wonders.

[Purveyor]

14. Like here perhaps: Georgia will stop enrolling new children in its health insurance program ...

ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia will stop enrolling new children in its health insurance program for low-income families because federal funds are running out, officials said Thursday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2722643

[HuffleClaw]

15. i really can't think of any reason why they should get a single penny of 'foreign aid'

loans sure, but outright aid?

[Megahurtz]

19. Yeah As If they don't have Their Own Fucking Money.

LOL.

[Robbien]

16. Israel is rich and the US is bankrupt

Foreign aid should be given to the US, not the other way around.

[ohio2007]

17. Who are they lobbying ? the lame duck

is being replaced so political action committee's are on the wine and dine beltway circuit