Sarcasm. Sometimes I just feel left out by the conspiracy theory UN, Jews, and CFR are going to take over unless I wear my tin foil hat and vote for Ru Paul crowd.
Yeah those wacko conspiracy theorists. They cooked up fantasies about huge amounts of U.S. economic aid to Israel (essentially welfare) every year. They made up stories about an Israeli Spy named Jonathan Pollard who betrayed his country (the U.S.) and finally they have these (probably drug induced) fantasies about the Israelis attacking an AMERICAN SHIP in 1967 causing numerous casualties.
http://www.ussliberty.org/
Why the conspiracy theorists are so powerful that even the U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv puts up fake numbers re: Welfare grants to Israel:
http://telaviv.usembassy.gov/publish/mission/amb/assistance.html
U.S. Assistance to Israel:
1949-2004 Total
Military Assistance
$64.4 Billion
Economic Assistance
$35.6 Billion
Total Assistance
$100 Billion
U.S. Assistance to Israel: FY2004
MILITARY
Military Grants (FMF) - $2.16 billion
Cooperative Defense Programs - $136 million
Interest on FMF - $38 million (Estimated)
OSP Authority = 26% (est) of FMF = $565 million
Military Total: $2.33 Billion
ECONOMIC
Scheduled Loan Guarantees - $3 billion
Economic Grants (ESF) - $480 million
Immigration & Resettlement Assistance - $50 million
Educational & Exchange Programs - $1.6 million
Economic Total: $532 Million
U.S. Assistance to Israel: FY2003
MILITARY
Military Grants (FMF) - $2.1 billion
Emergency Wartime Supplemental (Iraq) - $1 billion
Cooperative Defense Programs - $450 million
Interest on FMF - $37.6 million
OSP Authority = 26.3% of total FMF = $823 million
Military Total: $3.59 Billion
ECONOMIC
Total Approved Loan Guarantees - $9 billion
Disbursed Loan Guarantees - $2.45 billion
Economic Grants (ESF) - $600 million
Immigration & Resettlement Assistance - $60 million
Educational & Exchange Programs - $1.6 million
Economic Total: $662 Million
U.S. Assistance to Israel: FY2003.The Iraq Supplemental
On April 16, 2003 the President signed the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-11)
The Act provides Israel an exceptional:
$1 billion increase in FMF; and
$9 billion in loan guarantees.
U.S. Assistance to Israel: FY2003.2003 Loan Guarantee Provisions
According to the Act,
“Guarantees may be issued … only to support activities in the geographic areas which were subject to the administration of the GOI before June 5, 1967”
“The amount of the guarantees … shall be reduced by an amount equal to the amount extended … by the GOI … for activities which the President determines are inconsistent with the objectives and understandings reached between the United States and the GOI …”
U.S. Assistance to Israel: FY2003.2003 Loan Guarantee Advantages
The Loan Guarantee Agreement allows Israel to issue nine billion dollars in financial instruments covered by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
As a result, Israel is able to obtain these instruments at much lower interest rates than would otherwise be possible.
This saves Israel millions of dollars in interest payments and is a concrete expression of U.S. support for the Israeli economy.
U.S. Assistance to Israel
HISTORY I
U.S. assistance to Israel began in 1949 with a $100 million Export-Import Bank Loan.
From 1949-65, U.S. aid averaged $63 million per year. 95% was economic development assistance and food aid.
A modest military loan program began in 1959
From 1966 through 1970, average annual aid per year increased to about $102 million. Military loans increased to 47% of the total.
U.S. Assistance to Israel
HISTORY II
From 1971 to the present, U.S. aid has averaged over $2 billion per year. 66% has been military assistance.
Congress first designated a specific amount of aid for Israel (an “earmark”) in 1971.
From a collection of various programs, in 1979 U.S. economic aid was mainly replaced by direct transfers for budgetary support.
Economic aid became all grant cash transfer in 1981, military aid became all grant in 1985.