U.S. Senate Democrats on Tuesday blocked a Republican effort to win quick approval for a bill providing emergency aid to Israel that passed the House of Representatives last week, but that provides no assistance for Ukraine's war against Russia.
Most of the aid to Ukraine is actually just money for the US defense industry and military. They get to donate old stuff without paying for disposal and get money to build new staff.
The ROI on supporting Ukraine is huge. The US is eliminating their second biggest threat without sacrificing a single soldier and only at the cost of donating old equipment.
Israel, on the other hand, is more of a leech on the USA. They don’t provide much benefit and they cost a lot of money and soft power. Unlike Ukraine, they have a powerful lobbying group to get out much more from the USA than would ever be warranted if they didn’t hijack US domestic politics.
I think you misunderstand Isreals role in the region, as far as US politics is concerned. As long as Isreal is a viable force in the region, They are seen as a knife at the collective Arab/Iranian/Egyptian throat. They act as a US proxy providing a counter weight to other regional powers. I’m no defender of Isreal, there actions, or Netanyahu, just providing another point of view.
“Israel is the largest American aircraft carrier in the world that cannot be sunk, does not carry even one American soldier, and is located in a critical region for American national security.”
Israel has a VERY strong military industrial complex and the US is a long time collaborator and customer. It is far from a “leech” scenario.
Also, don’t forget that we are getting immense amounts of research and testing in Ukraine. A LOT of our gear has never been (meaningfully) used in anger. That, combined with the reality of a modern war against near-ish peers makes those “aid packages” worth their weight in gold. The paper and the envelopes, not the crates full of javelins.
Fully agree, but have to add:
Most of the aid to Ukraine is actually just money for the US defense industry and military. They get to donate old stuff without paying for disposal and get money to build new staff.
The ROI on supporting Ukraine is huge. The US is eliminating their second biggest threat without sacrificing a single soldier and only at the cost of donating old equipment.
Israel, on the other hand, is more of a leech on the USA. They don’t provide much benefit and they cost a lot of money and soft power. Unlike Ukraine, they have a powerful lobbying group to get out much more from the USA than would ever be warranted if they didn’t hijack US domestic politics.
I think you misunderstand Isreals role in the region, as far as US politics is concerned. As long as Isreal is a viable force in the region, They are seen as a knife at the collective Arab/Iranian/Egyptian throat. They act as a US proxy providing a counter weight to other regional powers. I’m no defender of Isreal, there actions, or Netanyahu, just providing another point of view.
I know that argument, but then you must also accept that acts like 9/11 are blowback and forever wars like Iraq, Afghanistan and ISIS are inevitable.
The American people do not profit of off this modern colonialism.
Just trading peacefully with the Muslim world would be cheaper and cost less blood.
“Israel is the largest American aircraft carrier in the world that cannot be sunk, does not carry even one American soldier, and is located in a critical region for American national security.”
— Alexander Haig
Like it or not, it’s as true then as it is now.
Israel has a VERY strong military industrial complex and the US is a long time collaborator and customer. It is far from a “leech” scenario.
Also, don’t forget that we are getting immense amounts of research and testing in Ukraine. A LOT of our gear has never been (meaningfully) used in anger. That, combined with the reality of a modern war against near-ish peers makes those “aid packages” worth their weight in gold. The paper and the envelopes, not the crates full of javelins.
Israel keeps the whole region unstable. That’s an immeasurable benefit to US oil interests.
Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the Syrian war, Islamic state.
Israel certainly is adding to the instability, but the region is pretty unstable without considering them.