[moki]

Imagine that... hell appears to have frozen over. I applaud the Bush administration's resolve in this matter. The Settlements are indeed indefensible, in my opinion, and Israel continuing to support and create them is not tolerable.

A bit more pressure on Israel, a bit more pressure on Arafat, and we might actually get somewhere. Well, I guess I won't be that optimistic, but I am glad that Bush is holding Israel accountable. As should everyone else be.

from: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/20...nt_1199052.htm

.....

____WASHINGTON, Nov. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- The United States decided on Tuesday to cut its loan guarantees to Israel by 289.5 million US dollars to show its displeasure over Israel's continued settlement activities in occupied Palestinian land, especially the building of a so-called security wall in the West Bank.

____The deduction was finalized after a White House meeting between President George W. Bush's National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice and Dov Weisglass, chief of staff for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, reports here quoted informed sources as saying.

____The sources also indicated that additional cuts could be made in the future from the 9 billion dollar package of US loan guarantees Israel is due to receive over three years.

____The first deduction of the 289.5 million dollars will be made from the 1.4 billion dollars US loan guarantees due this year, the report said.

____US National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack said the US-Israeli agreement over the deduction "acknowledges US policy concerns and US law regarding activities in the West Bank and Gaza" and is "a reflection of close and continuing consultations between our two governments."

____Under relevant US laws which established the 9 billion dollar loan guarantees, Israel should not use the money for activities onoccupied Palestinian land.

____The Bush administration first announced the consideration of possible reduction in loan guarantees to Israel in August, after repeatedly expressing concerns over Israel's insistence on building the controversial security wall in the West Bank.

[eklipse]

Well whaddya know? Bush is an anti-Semite too.


It's hard to see how this is going to exert pressure on Israel seeing as Israel 'suggested' the figure to be cut.

[einmakom]

And, if Israel suggested the cut, then how can Bush be an anti-semite for following Israel's suggestion?

In truth, this sort of suggestion has been made for years.

In July 1996, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. and pledged that Israel would begin reducing its reliance on U.S. economic aid and become more economically self-sufficient. As the Prime Mini- ster said, "there can be no greater tribute to America's long standing economic aid to Israel than for us to be able to say we are going to achieve economic independence."

Since then, several senior Israeli government officials, including Finance Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman, have met with U.S. Administration and Congressional officials to outline a plan for the gradual phase-out of American economic aid to Israel over the next ten years.

In October 1998, Congress took the first step toward reducing Israel's aid package by passing a bill which reduced Israel's $1.2 billion economic assistance package by $120 million, or ten percent. At the same time, half of the savings ($60 million) were added to the U.S. military assistance program for Israel, raising that program's total to $1.86 billion.

The main points of the aid reduction package are as follows:

Economic aid to Israel will be phased out entirely over the next 10 years. Reductions will be made in annual $120 million increments.

Half of each year's savings ($60 million) will be added to military as- sistance for Israel in recognition of its increasing security needs.

At the end of the 10 year period, Israel will receive $2.4 billion in military assistance and no economic aid.

Israel will continue to be able to spend about one-quarter of the aid it receives on researching, developing and procuring defense systems within Israel.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by einmakom:
And, if Israel suggested the cut, then how can Bush be an anti-semite for following Israel's suggestion?

You do realize that eklipse's comment was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Sharon's imbecilic remarks the other day, right?

-s*

[eklipse]

Originally posted by einmakom:
In truth, this sort of suggestion has been made for years.

So the move had nothing to do with exerting pressure on Israel and voicing displeasure over settlement building? Oh well, I don't suppose it's that surprising.

moki, it looks like hell is just as hostile towards freezing as it usually is - so much for Bush's resolve.

[moki]

Originally posted by eklipse:
So the move had nothing to do with exerting pressure on Israel and voicing displeasure over settlement building? Oh well, I don't suppose it's that surprising.

I don't believe that's correct. Yes, there have been plans to reduce Israel's economic aid from the US for years, but this was not a scheduled cut.

This was a cut done to make a point, and that point was: the settlements are you making are not just. Stop creating new settlements, and disband the older ones.

The Bush administration first announced the consideration of possible reduction in loan guarantees to Israel in August, after repeatedly expressing concerns over Israel's insistence on building the controversial security wall in the West Bank.

[einmakom]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
You do realize that eklipse's comment was a tongue-in-cheek reference to Sharon's imbecilic remarks the other day, right?

-s*

When the image server isn't up and the smilies don't load, they don't mean much.

Relying on words to express humor is so much more refined, but I understand that it requires more effort than some can muster.

(exit stage left, goes to sharpen his tongue.)

[eklipse]

Originally posted by moki:
I don't believe that's correct. Yes, there have been plans to reduce Israel's economic aid from the US for years, but this was not a scheduled cut.

This was a cut done to make a point, and that point was: the settlements are you making are not just. Stop creating new settlements, and disband the older ones.

The Bush administration first announced the consideration of possible reduction in loan guarantees to Israel in August, after repeatedly expressing concerns over Israel's insistence on building the controversial security wall in the West Bank.

Don't tell me, tell einmakom.

I still find the move suspicious if Israel was the one to set the figure to be cut.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by einmakom:
When the image server isn't up and the smilies don't load, they don't mean much.

Relying on words to express humor is so much more refined, but I understand that it requires more effort than some can muster.

(exit stage left, goes to sharpen his tongue.)

Well, it was dripping with sarcasm, and you *were* all over that thread on Sharon's comment, sooo...

But the image server explanation gives you the benefit of doubt.

-s*

[MacGorilla]

The loan gaurantees cut are just a fraction of the total aid he give Israel. Its more a light slap on the wrist than punishment.

[AutoJC]

Originally posted by moki:
A bit more pressure on Israel, a bit more pressure on Arafat, and we might actually get somewhere.

We'll get nowhere.

Israel doesn't need American tax dollars to fund its settlements.

It's Arafat, not Israel, who needs the pressure to return to the peace table. Better yet, get rid of Arafat and get a neutral Palestinian to negotiate.

Well, I guess I won't be that optimistic, but I am glad that Bush is holding Israel accountable. As should everyone else be.

Israel should be held accountable for making concessions to the Palestinians, because of the fact that they are yielding to the blackmail of terrorists, thereby giving the terrorists license to further impose upon Israel.

Israel doesn't need American tax dollars as a reward for its self deprecation, i.e. in the form of yielding to terrorist demands.

So far, America, under Bush's handling of Israel, has been reprehensible at best, an unprincipled failure, due to its lack of moral resolve and its determination that Israel and Palestine are morally equivalent, which, in my opinion, they are not.

[AutoJC]

n July 1996, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. and pledged that Israel would begin reducing its reliance on U.S. economic aid and become more economically self-sufficient. As the Prime Mini- ster said, "there can be no greater tribute to America's long standing economic aid to Israel than for us to be able to say we are going to achieve economic independence."

Since then, several senior Israeli government officials, including Finance Minister Ya'akov Ne'eman, have met with U.S. Administration and Congressional officials to outline a plan for the gradual phase-out of American economic aid to Israel over the next ten years.

In October 1998, Congress took the first step toward reducing Israel's aid package by passing a bill which reduced Israel's $1.2 billion economic assistance package by $120 million, or ten percent. At the same time, half of the savings ($60 million) were added to the U.S. military assistance program for Israel, raising that program's total to $1.86 billion.

The main points of the aid reduction package are as follows:

Economic aid to Israel will be phased out entirely over the next 10 years. Reductions will be made in annual $120 million increments.

Half of each year's savings ($60 million) will be added to military as- sistance for Israel in recognition of its increasing security needs.

At the end of the 10 year period, Israel will receive $2.4 billion in military assistance and no economic aid.

Prior to 1967, Israel needed no aid from America.

Netanyahu is right. The less money Israel accepts from America as a handout, the more independent from America it can be. There's no reason, however, that Israel can't continue to purchase arms from America, though.