Did U.S. Controversial Israeli Aid Affect Elections

An academic study, published a year ago, showed the U.S., under the administrations of Presidents Biden and Trump, provided at least $21.7 billion in military assistance to Israel after the start of the Gaza war in 2023. The aid, verbally sold to us as defense of the nation, was essentially used so Israel could conduct its genocidal conflict on the West Bank and other Palestinian territory.

Ten years ago, President Obama, signed an economically intentioned security agreement to give Israel’s military $38 billion over 10 years. Under the agreement, Israel’s spending on its own military products was to be phased out, with the country eventually spending all of the money on American military industries.

So yes, we are part of that genocide. We’re also part of the illegal Israeli aggression that has conquered over half of all Palestinian lands since 1948, when the League of Nations initially carved out half of the then existing territory to make Israel a country again.

Now, according to Trump, that is going to stop… sort of. We won’t provide them with military aid for free anymore, we’ll simply sell them whatever they need. On one hand, that’s good. Our tax dollars aren’t going to waste. On the other hand, now instead of providing for a genocide, we’re profiting from it. Both must end.

“You can consider it barter. You can consider military aid or cash,” Trump said. “Look, we give them $4 billion of things and money, and they don’t need it. And I was approached by Bibi Netanyahu, and we’ve been talking about it for a couple of years because it’s a lot of money.”

The political optics of the aid had become an issue for Trump, who singled out El-Sayed for using it as a talking point. Perhaps Trump should have thought of the optics long before his economically destructive warmongering in Israel and Iran. Why? El-Sayed was officially elected to the U.S. Senate in a nationwide blue wave in last night’s elections. Democrats now own both chambers of Congress.

Netanyahu has talked about the need to wean Israel off the aid in the past and has said that the American aid would end at some point. He told The Economist this year he wanted to “taper off” U.S. military aid ever the next 10 years.

“The left uses the $4 billion payment — that everybody knows about, it’s no secret — as a signal of unfairness, and we can’t allow that to happen… It’s almost too easy a target. And Bibi and I have been talking, and we’ve agreed. He was very understanding of it.”

In other words, political pressure from voters is why this is happening. Too late, Trump! The results are in. Your war agenda has been pummeled.

I don’t think the pressure will end, though. Whether we’re providing aid or selling the aid, we’re still providing for ongoing military operations by a country hellbent on taking over all Palestinian lands because they think it’s theirs. If that’s the case, why doesn’t the U.S. give back all its land to the aborigine tribes in America?

Source used: Associated Press

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