Recent Western Occupations

What is Israel’s interest in terrorism? Remember its vision for the occupied territories. Israel has never made a secret of it. Whether it was Ehud Barak, who claimed that UN resolution 242 did not apply to the West Bank and Gaza, or Ariel Sharon, who said he would never discuss evacuating a Jewish settlement, Israel’s intentions have always been quite clear: keeping a maximal share of the occupied territories, with a minimal number of Palestinians….. Continue Reading →

The Chicago Tribune’s September 13, 2001 editorial asks, “Why do they hate us so much?” This is perhaps the most crucial question the United States could now ask itself, as in its answer lies the key to defeating terrorism….. Continue Reading →

With the turmoil surrounding the presidential election essentially freezing Congress into inaction, this is probably a good time to take another look at aid to Israel. The common figure given for U.S. aid to Israel is $3 billion per year – $1.2 billion in economic aid and $1.8 billion in military aid. As impressive as this figure is, however, since it represents about one-sixth of total U.S. foreign aid, the true figure is even more remarkable. It is difficult, however, to arrive at an exact number. Much of the money the U.S. gives Israel is buried in the budgets of other government agencies, primarily the Defense Department (DOD). Other subsidies come in a form that isn’t easily quantifiable, such as the early disbursement of aid, which allows Israel to gain (and the U.S. taxpayer to lose) the interest on the unspent money….. Continue Reading →