By now many Americans are aware that Israel, with a population of only 5.8 million people, is the largest recipient of US foreign aid, and that Israel's aid plus US aid to Egypt's 65 million people for keeping the peace with Israel has, for many years, consumed more than half of the US bi-lateral foreign aid budget world-wide.
What few Americans understand however, is the steep price they pay in many other fields for the US-Israeli relationship, which in turn is a product of the influence of Israel's powerful US lobby (AIPAC) on American domestic politics and has nothing to do with US strategic interests, US national interests, or even with traditional American support for self-determination, human rights, and fair play overseas.
Besides its financial cost, unwavering US support for Israel, whether it's right or wrong, exacts a huge price in American prestige and credibility overseas. Further, Israel's powerful US lobby has been a major factor in delaying campaign finance reform, and also in the removal from American political life of some of our most distinguished public servants, members of Congress and even presidents.
Finally, the Israel-US relationship has cost a significant number of American lives. The incidents in which hundreds of US service personnel, diplomats, and civilians have been killed in the Middle East have been reported in the media. But the media seldom revisits these events, and scrupulously avoids analyzing why they occurred or compiling the cumulative toll of American deaths resulting from our Israel-centered Middle East policies.
Between 1949 and 1998, the US gave to Israel (officially reported � but in reality it�s several times more than reported) - every one of 5.8 million Israelis had received aid from the US government by October 31, 1997, cost American taxpayers $23,241 per Israeli. That's $116,205 for every Israeli family of five. (By: Richard Curtiss)
------------- Know your enemy!
No time to waste. Act now!
Tomorrow it will be too late
What You Don�t Know Can Kill You
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