Why does the US give Israel $3b per year?

[Ektar]

I'd pay that much for matzo ball soup and kugel

[Sidelle]

Originally Posted by Lune [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Because Israel fights the Muslims, and we don't like Muslims.

We give money to Arabs and Muslim countries too. I think I read somewhere it's something like 2/3 of the foreign aid budget.

[Kagatob]

HBB still never funny.
Also it's the gateway to oil land.

[Lune]

Originally Posted by Sidelle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

We give money to Arabs and Muslim countries too. I think I read somewhere it's something like 2/3 of the foreign aid budget.

We pay that as a form of tribute, to buy relatively cooperative behavior from them. It's an entirely different kind of relationship than it is with Israel. Israel has a special status as being generally beyond reproach. No matter how despicable their behavior (and it is despicable), explicit criticism of Israel is a third rail issue in mainstream politics.

Some of it is a holdover from Cold-War era balance-of-power politics in the region, but now it's mostly just stupid foreign and domestic policy.

[Stinkum]

Israel is an apartheid, pariah state and a huge strategic liability to the U.S.

[Daldolma]

pras israel, winner of middle east botb