Stop Schnorring

I think it’s time for Israel to voluntarily give up all U.S. aid. By all, I mean economic AND military aid. I think it’s time for the Start Up Nation, the country with more companies listed on NASDAQ than Europe and China combined, the State the size of New Jersey with the 24^th largest economy in the world, a per capita income of $32,000 and research centers from every major high tech company in the world centered there, yeah, those guys to say “hallas, enough, gamarnu, no more hand outs.”

Let’s face it, there comes a time when your son who graduated medical school gets past the time he needs the few thousand dollars you helped him out with all these years. At some point you have to break the cord. Israel started getting aid from the U.S. when she was a struggling under-graduate, but now she’s a PHD with quite a high tech portfolio. There is no NEED for aid anymore, but it does serve a purpose, when analyzed further and proves to be counter to U.S. interests or policy.

Every dollar in aid the U.S. sends to Israel is a dollar diverted to supplement welfare, child allowances and stipends to Yeshiva students. In turn, this strengthens the coalition of Likud and the Haredi parties crucial to its governance. The fallout for everyone is a generation of over 6% of Israel’s population having no incentive to get off the dole, work or pay taxes.

Israel was glued to stories this past summer of the tent cities that went up all over Tel Aviv. The protesters want to know why they go to work everyday and pay taxes, but have to pay market rates for housing, while those who don’t work get supplemental housing. Every economy in the world is cutting back on social programs, not Israel, who needs the social programs to keep a governing coalition in power.

Taking aid undermines Israel’s independence and makes it beholden to U.S. policy, Bibi’s dressing down of Obama not withstanding. It inserts Israel into domestic U.S. policy often putting its interests at odds with Jewish Americans. For example Israel’s close ties to Evangelical Christians, who make a majority of American Jews uncomfortable for their views on abortion, homosexual rights, separation of church and state not to mention their belief that all Jews will eventually accept Christ as our savior or we’re doomed to eternal damnation.

Taking aid furthers the hegemony of Ultra Orthodoxy over religion in Israel, alienating itself from a majority of America’s Jews. And darn it, let’s shut the critics up, lets let them know Israel does not need to be America’s little girlfriend.

Let Israel make a deal with American companies they currently buy arms from, they’ll continue to buy from them if they continue to show competitive pricing. Other than that it’s a win – win.