Shibhaljazeera Net | Economy | Gaza Events
The unlimited American support for Israel in its war against Gaza and Lebanon adds burdens on American taxpayers. This support consumes tens of billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars, contributing to the U.S. expenditure bill, which has exceeded $22 billion since the war began.
According to a report by National Interest magazine, American spending on Israel’s wars has surpassed the combined budgets of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Although the amount is relatively small compared to the Pentagon’s annual budget, which is estimated at a trillion dollars, the $22 billion is still a significant sum in comparison to other urgent domestic American needs. The magazine points out that this American support is being paid for by U.S. taxpayers.
Due to the devastating consequences of U.S. support for Israel in Gaza, the magazine called for halting aid to an ally that destabilizes the Middle East.
William Hartung, the author of the report and a research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, praised Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, Democrat Peter Welch, and Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley for attempting to block new plans to sell over $20 billion worth of weapons to Israel.
The new weapons plan includes F-15 fighter jets, artillery shells, and guided bombs. The author argues that the greatest danger lies in the possibility that the Biden administration will respond to pressure from Netanyahu’s government to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities, which could lead to dangerous escalation and bring catastrophic destruction to the Middle East.
Hartung also warned about the rising costs of U.S. military operations in the region as conflicts and tensions in the Red Sea escalate, partly due to the Sana’a government’s ban on Israeli-linked ships passing through the Red Sea.
The American movements in the region include deploying aircraft carriers, missile destroyers, increasing the number of troops on the ground, missile clashes with Sana’a forces, and providing Israel with the THAAD air defense system.
Source: Boqash