Rep. Berman criticizes McCain’s possible elimination of aid to Israel.
Rep. Berman criticizes McCain’s possible elimination of aid to Israel.
Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Howard Berman (D-CA) released a statement responding to ThinkProgress’s report that McCain’s promise to “veto every bill with earmarks” may eliminate U.S. aid to Israel. Berman sharply criticized McCain for putting attempts to “please certain parts of the electorate” above “indispensable security programs”:
For many years, Congress has earmarked critical military aid for Israel, our closest ally in the volatile Middle East. Confronted with this fact, Senator McCain last evening hastily issued what purported to be a clarifying statement indicating that he will ‘ensure America remains committed to the security of Israel, including maintaining America’s assistance levels.’ Unfortunately, this did little to explain his intentions.
It is absolutely essential that Congress continue to require full funding for Israel. In the absence of an earmark, it is easy to imagine a situation in which funds that are vital to Israel’s self-defense are diverted to the crisis of the moment or distributed to others based on political whims. Vague commitments to ‘maintaining … assistance levels’ offer cold comfort.
Senator McCain may be trying to please certain parts of the electorate by promising to cut pork-barrel spending, but he needs to learn to distinguish pork from indispensable security programs.
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Let’s watch everyone fall all over themselves now trying to show that they are Israel’s best friend. Aid to Israel is not considered an “indispensable security program”? Did Israel become our 51st state or something?
Not that the aid amount is that large mind you. Not even a week’s worth of the money going down the drain in Iraq. But I read on the last thread about this that it’s more than the entire amount we send to Africa? Kind of crazy.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:27 amSigh – I meant to type ‘Aid to Israel is NOW considered an “indispensable security program”‘?
Back to work for me…
April 17th, 2008 at 11:28 amThis out-of-touch lunatic and excuse for a representative of all American PEOPLE describes Israel as an “indispenable security program”. How so, Mr Berman?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:30 ami agree with mccain to cut funding in Israel. too bad he wouldn’t actually do it.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:32 amDon’t worry, Rep. Berman, give it a few hours, McCain will change his position again according to which way he thinks the wind is blowing.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:35 amAt least McCain has been consistent in his flip-floppery and a new flop after the flip can be counted on.
For many years, Congress has earmarked critical military aid for Israel, our closest ally in the volatile Middle East.
Really ?
How many Israeli troops are in Iraq with us ?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:40 amDon’t worry, Rep. Berman, give it a few hours, McCain will change his position again according to which way he thinks the wind is blowing.
Or the sun is shining. He flips and flops when the political pavement gets too toasty for comfort.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:47 amWhich came first, Israel being our closest ally or the middle east being full of enemies?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:55 amGood. Eliminate aid to Israel. They’re terrorists who stole land from the Palestinians.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:55 amWithout endorsing our Israel policy, which certainly I don’t care for, or letting McC off the hook: why is ANYTHING that the great majority of Congress considers important to the U.S. as a whole being funded in this bassackwards fashion?
April 17th, 2008 at 11:56 amAnd propping up Israel to the tune of in excess of $50 MILLION per month is certainly vital…
erm, I’m sure it is vital….
yep, vital…
April 17th, 2008 at 11:56 amAre you kidding me?
Israel will probably blackmail more money from McCain than they did from Busch.
_AIO_
April 17th, 2008 at 11:57 amC’mon, this doesn’t pass the laugh test. Does anyone seriously think that ANY candidate would eliminate aid to Israel? That’s a small base that no politician would pander to.
April 17th, 2008 at 11:59 amWell, thundering Panderation!
April 17th, 2008 at 12:03 pmWell, the truth can come out of the side of thier mouth.
flagged….you know why so don’t whine.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:05 pmWhat Fred??
April 17th, 2008 at 12:07 pmHow many Israeli troops are in Iraq with us ?
How many in Afghanistan as well?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:09 pmDo we have actual figures on annual aid to Israel?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:11 pmMcCain: “I hates the earmarks except when they’re good and necessary earmarks which are earmarks for and from my friends.”
April 17th, 2008 at 12:19 pmAIPAC OWNS Congress
Israel to US: Cut off funding and we will bomb your ships
Congress to Israel: cut off aid? Sir!, No Sir! We don’t you doing another USS Liberty incident on us. We will fight to the last American for Israel against all enemies-real or imagained.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmThat’s what I thought.
Anyway, of course McCain wouldn’t actually eliminate any aid to Israel. Their lobby is too strong, and all around support is too strong in our Government.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:20 pmIt is absolutely essential that Congress continue to require full funding for Israel.
It’s my understanding that Israeli corporations specializing in matters of homeland security and surveillance componets are making money had over fist.
If that’s the case, why is it necessary for AMERICAN TAX PAYER DOLLARS to fund the security of Israel? Why aren’t they providing their own security?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:21 pmCall me a traitor – but, frankly, I don’t care. I don’t really think Israel needs all that much aid anyway. They’re certainly doing better than their neighbors – and acting uncomfortably like our own crazy neocon rulers.
Furthermore, I’m appalled that the same people who suffered the Holocaust would turn ’round and oppress another group people the same way.
There. I said it.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:22 pmIgnoranceIsNotBliss Says:
If that’s the case, why is it necessary for AMERICAN TAX PAYER DOLLARS to fund the security of Israel? Why aren’t they providing their own security?
April 17th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Because those dollars come right back to us through Boeing and Raytheon and Lockheed Martin and other defense contractors who build the weapons Israel buys from us with the money we give them. For the military-industrial complex, it’s win-win-win!
April 17th, 2008 at 12:24 pmFred, why so flag happy?
Please explain why exactly you flagged Ike.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:47 pmOr maybe you would just rather flag me to lol
Hasn’t anyone noticed that Israel can take care of itself? Did you see BBC News report yesterday on the carnage in Gaza against civilians because 3 Israeli soldiers were killed? Israel said it was “sorry” civilians were murdered because the militants use civilians as a shield.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:49 pmIf Israel had a couple billion dollars less for their military, would they be forced to make peace with their neighbors?
I know we give Egypt $2 billion every year, $1.2 billion going for military. If we stopped that, wouldn’t Israel need a lot less.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pmKeith Says:
If Israel had a couple billion dollars less for their military, would they be forced to make peace with their neighbors?
I know we give Egypt $2 billion every year, $1.2 billion going for military. If we stopped that, wouldn’t Israel need a lot less.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
_____
No – more. Much of that $2 billion is a bribe to keep Egypt at peace with Israel.
April 17th, 2008 at 12:57 pmsilly statement. Of course McCain wont cut aid to Israel, thats absurd
April 17th, 2008 at 1:15 pmPer your request and because you said please:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/06/oreilly-dodge-fox-news-at-your-peril/
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/02/07/thinkfast-february-7-2008/
do your own search, you will find plenty more.
April 17th, 2008 at 1:33 pmFred, you’re pathetic man; get a life. I almost feel sorry for you.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:00 pmIt’s fun to see all the Israel-haters out today. It’s a very one-sided affair, this Israel-Palestine thing, right? Israel bad, Palestinians good. So simple. Thank god, because if it’s black and white, you don’t have to think about it. Just eat more cheetohs.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:24 pmFirst up: Israelis in Iraq and Afghanistan? No, those are America’s wars. Despite what the neocons in the U.S. and Israel say, Bushco’s wars have been a disaster for Israel. Saddam was not threat to Israel before Bushco invaded, but now, there are tens of thousands more Arab terrorists, and very well-trained and funded. And in the meantime, Israel gets none of the oil the U.S. is trying to steal. It’s nice that most Israelis are trying hard not to criticize us for our stupid wars, eh?
Second: The “aid” that Israel gets is mostly funding for American-made weapons. Get it? The U.S. gives Israel money so they can give it to American corporations! And in return, the Israelis get weapons that are inferior to the ones they make. Sweet deal, right?
Third: Israel’s not essential to U.S. security? Well, they have a much, much better intelligence system in the Middle East and elsewhere (They warned Bushco that there were terrorists in the U.S. before 9/11, but Bushco wasn’t interested). Without that intelligence system (and its bases, and military, etc.), the U.S. has much less ability in the Middle East, which is a pretty important part of the world. Also, Israel develops and sells military technology to the U.S. that is better than U.S. technology. And Israel is actually a democracy, however flawed, and not a dictatorship, and that makes it pretty valuable to the U.S. in and of itself. Please, people: before you type, put down the cheetoh and pick up a book.
Fred, it appears that you are flagging Ike because you disagree with his opinion on some things and consider him a “troll” because of that. I think it’s pretty ridiculous to post links to comments from February, and it’s obvious you’ve saved them. It’s also shows that while some posters will join in with you on an attack, many call you out on it and say it is you that is acting like a troll, since you are disrupting the thread.
April 17th, 2008 at 2:26 pmOh, and for everybody who goes with the “Israel went through the Holocaust and now they treat the Palestinians the same way”: Wrong again!
April 17th, 2008 at 2:42 pmThe Jews of Europe weren’t rocketing, shooting at, mortaring, or suicide-bombing their neighbors, including women and children and a few Olympic athletes.
The Jews of Europe didn’t dance in the streets when they heard about Pearl Harbor.
The Nazis didn’t make numerous peace overtures to the Jews over the decades.
There are more than a million Arab Israelis, and they serve in Parliament and (voluntarily) the Israeli Army. Jews in the SS? Not so much.
The Jews didn’t educate their children that the Germans were “sons of pigs and monkeys,” born liars, murderers and infidels, etc.
The Jews of Europe didn’t declare that Germany had no right to exist and try to take it away from them.
There weren’t millions of Germans who sympathized with the Jews and fought for their rights and a peaceful solution.
The Israelis aren’t trying to wipe all Arabs from the face of the earth because they’re parasites and the root of all evil. I could go on, but having to explain what should be obvious makes me tired. Israel commits war crimes. Israel inflicts mass punishment (although it can be hard to pick out the suicide bombers from the other Palestinians). But to say that Israel acts like the Nazis isn’t just a nasty insult, it’s stupid. So again: please put down the cheetohs and pick up a book.
NoOneYouKnow Says:
But to say that Israel acts like the Nazis isn’t just a nasty insult, it’s stupid.
———————–
I just took the time to review the comments on this thread and I didn’t see anyone say that “Israel acts like the Nazis”. Did I miss something?
Oh, and btw, you might want to do something about that fixation with cheetohs…
April 17th, 2008 at 2:51 pmmunch, snap…
April 17th, 2008 at 3:35 pmWith friends like these, eh?
April 17th, 2008 at 3:49 pmmary Says:
I just took the time to review the comments on this thread and I didn’t see anyone say that “Israel acts like the Nazis”. Did I miss something?
I think NoOneYouKnow is referring to this comment:
L. Hussein Annie Says:
Furthermore, I’m appalled that the same people who suffered the Holocaust would turn ’round and oppress another group people the same way.
(emphasis mine)
While I do think that Israel is indeed committing acts of mass punishment against the Palestinians, it is indeed a great exaggeration to put them on a par with the Nazi atrocities.
PS Cheetohs suck, Doritos rule.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:56 pm… and I think I overused the word “indeed”. Sorry.
April 17th, 2008 at 3:57 pmSo….the Israelis are not locking up the Palestinians in ghettos?
They’re not rounding them up and forcing them to live behind high walls with no access to food or water?
The Israelis are not bulldozing their houses…?
How many Palestinians have to die before we can say that Israel is treating the Palestians “the same way” as Germany treated the Jews…? Do they have to start shoving them into gas chambers? Kill 6 million of them before we act?
What??
If someone had taken action when Germany was merely walling off Jews behind ghetto walls – perhaps the 6 million would NOT have died, eh?
April 17th, 2008 at 4:22 pmLuis M – thanks for your comments.
For me, the thing the Israelis do that reminds me the most of the Nazis is the way they seem to treat the Palestinians as a lower form of life. As though their deaths don’t matter as much as an Israeli’s. I certainly don’t go around calling Israelis nazis. Although that awful Gaza Strip does seem like one huge prison camp sometimes.
I hear that Israel has resumed some shipments of fuel to the Palestinians. I’ve never understood why they can only get fuel through the Israelis.
One would think that after what the Jews have been through that they would be more ‘mindful’ about treating people fairly though. No?
April 17th, 2008 at 4:36 pmLet’s see if I’ve got this right: The Palestinians were there like, hundreds of years before the Israeli’s came over in what? 1948 (or something like that) and took the Palestinians land saying they (the Israeli’s) were more entitled to the land than the Palestinians were and now the Israeli’s don’t know what all the fuss is or why the Palestinians would be upset with the Israeli’s?
April 17th, 2008 at 4:42 pmCome on Jews, we love you but you have to admit the “Israel – Home of the Jewish People” thing has gotten out of hand. Way outta of hand. No one wants to cut aid to Israel and watch all the good jews in Israel get killed or made homeless, they just want to see some justice, cut some funding and watch the Zionist squirm and force them to compromise on a fair deal. learn to be good neighbors.
The problem with “Israel – The Jewish Homeland” I that the protectionist idea is itself fundamentally racist. Israel, where we stand up for one type of person, um more.
If they had started off with “Palestine, Safe Place for People to Chill and Heal and be Close to Their Roots”, that would have been more doable. That would be something everyone can enjoy.
April 17th, 2008 at 6:28 pmAid to Israel is actually not a very good thing the way studies shows.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:11 pm‘They hate our policies, not our freedom
‘Muslims do not hate our freedom, but rather they hate our policies [the report says]. The overwhelming majority voice their objections to what they see as one-sided support in favor of Israel and against Palestinian rights, and the long-standing, even increasing, support for what Muslims collectively see as tyrannies, most notably Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan and the Gulf states. Thus, when American public diplomacy talks about bringing democracy to Islamic societies, this is seen as no more than self-serving hypocrisy.’
http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1129/dailyUpdate.html
http://www.acq.osd.mil/dsb/reports/2004-09-Strategic_Communication.pdf
Well, I am certainly perplexed, I have rarely seen such uninformed or unfactual drivel in all my life. You people definitely need to read more, and I am not talking about your local newspapers. Perhaps a little history would be beneficial. I don’t know which representation to answer first they are all so misguided and uneducated. Last time I looked, Israel was being inundated on a daily basis with missles raining down on towns bordering the Gaza strip. Last time I heard, Israel is being threatened with annihilation on a fairly regular basis. Last time I read, Hamas’s Charter spews hatred towards not only Jews but all infidels (that’s you guys). It is plainly sick to equivocate Israel with the Nazi’s. There is no other place in the Middle East where Arab’s enjoy more freedom than in Israel where they serve in Parliament, vote, are educated, have access to some of the best medicine in the world, have freedom to express there views, etc. Perhaps you should travel the internet a bit more and get a little more acknowledge. What would you do if rockets were being hurled on a daily basis from Mexico into towns in Texas? How long would any country allow its citizens to be injured, threatened and terrorized? Not long, I imagine, before we would flatten the aggressor.
April 20th, 2008 at 8:32 pm