I heard that TWO-THIRDS of the US Aid Budget Goes to Israel & Egypt

1. 65

   AdsenseStrategiesposted 14 years ago

   First off, can anyone corroborate this?
   
   Second of all, if this is true, and assuming "overseas aid" normally means aid to extremely impoverished countries, then WTF?

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   Red_Hot_Daveposted 14 years ago

   It's probably true that the US gives a lot of money to Israel, but I'm not why they'd give money to Egypt.

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      AdsenseStrategiesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      It's just that two-thirds seems like an awfully big portion...

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      VENUGOPAL SIVAGNAposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Aid budget is for paying money to those in need. Israel very much needs US' financial aid. Without US financing, Israel cant exist. And without Israel, US influence in the oil-rich Arab countries will vanish.
      
      For Egypt, its economy shattered due to the Arab-Israeli conflicts in 1967 abd 1973. With limited resources, Egypt needs financial aid to stay on line with other Arab countries. And more than anything else, Egypt is the first Arab country to recognise Israel's existence as a sovereign country.
      
      American aid can go to any country until the receiving country is not engaged in terrorist activities (like Pakistan and Afganistan).

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   livewithrichardposted 14 years ago

   From what I have read, our US foreign aid has been doubled this year to $50 billion and Israel is getting $2.77 billion of that.  A far cry from 2/3's.  Also, 75% of Israel's aid is in the form of Dollars that is to be used to produce military devices here in the US, consequently creating jobs for US citizens.

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      AdsenseStrategiesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If you are right, then yes, 2.77 billion is much less than two-thirds of 50 billion... On another note, however, does this not suggest that "military aid" is being included in the expression "overseas aid" -- worth knowing if it is true, because I suspect a lot of people read the word "aid" to mean "humanitarian aid"

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         livewithrichardposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         The reality is that when the US determines it's foreign aid budget it also includes military aid.
         
         Like I stated 3/4ths of all that aid to Israel is spent here in the US creating jobs and also supporting our economy.

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            egivposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Supporting our economy? Doing what? The money is spent on the IDF and whatever else helps Israel, which is relatively obvious considering that we are giving money to them.
            
            Even if they do produce military devices in the US, it doesn't account for 75% of the money (and if it does, god help us that Israel is spending 75% of 3 billion dollars a year only on producing weapons, without even mentioning anything about Palestinian civilian death counts), and it is certainly not helping the US any more than if we didn't give it to them in the first place.

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               Harvey Stelmanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

               evig,
               
               Don't be fooled by the Palestinian numbers, they are like Obama's job numbers. Palestinians fire many rockets into Israel daily; aren't they allowed to protect themselves.?
               
               Palestinian's fire from school's, Mosques and behind women and children. Who is causing this problem?

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   egivposted 14 years ago

   The US gives $3 billion dollars in aid every year to Israel, the highest of any country in the world. That is $500 PER CITIZEN. Strange, considering Israel is a developed, wealthy nation, that they get more aid than poor nations who actually need it.
   
   Apparently tax-payers don't seem to mind shelling out cash so that Israel can buy more bombs though because I get attacked every time I post something claiming how ridiculous it is (and how, in reality, it is hurting US long-term interests).

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      AdsenseStrategiesposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      An argument could be made that it is patronizing to Israelis who are clearly an innovative and technologically, scientifically, and commercially brilliant group of people (I realize they are a diverse nation, I just mean that they clearly *contain* lots of people like this, according to the stats, at any rate). I mean, thy have an extremely strong military, (including nuclear capability)... America should stand behind them if the American people wish for this -- but it seems like a lot cash to be doling out "in these times"...

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      Harvey Stelmanposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      egiv,
      
      What country votes with the U.S. in the UN more than Israel? None! Israel is the only Democracy in the middle-east. They are the only country in the region we can trust. If we need military help; who do you think would be the first to help. England would vie for that honor.
      
      Israel has created many things that you use yourself. Check aol messaging, cell phones and many more. Their medical bio-tech is producing more than anyone (I believe).
      
      The Muslim's would do more bombing here if they didn't concentrate on Israel.

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   Iðunnposted 14 years ago

   All foreign aid spending put together is less than one percent of the U.S. budget:
   
   http://www.cbpp.org/cms/index.cfm?fa=view&id=1967
   
   Here's how we compare to other countries:
   
   Table 2
   U.S. Official Development Assistance Compared with that of Other Countries
   1998-1999   United States
   Typical Donor Country*
   
   us:  ODA as a share of the economy 0.10%
   other countries:  0.30%
   
   us:  ODA per person in the donor country $33
   other countries:  $69
   
   * Typical Donor Country figures represent the median levels of the 21 countries other than the United States examined by the OECD
   Source: Development Co-Operation, 2000 Report, OECD, 2001
   
   
   We give pretty close amounts of money to both Israel and Egypt who are the top donees, so to speak.  All countries and amounts are listed here:
   
   http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/politic … gn-aid.htm
   
   Up to 90% of all money entitled 'foreign aid' makes it's way into the pockets of American businessmen anyway:
   http://www.africanloft.com/us-foreign-a … companies/
   
   "More dissenting voices about recent vist of U.S president to Africa. RINF, a UK-based, self-described “independent source for under reported news from around the world” states “90% of [US] ‘aid’ ends up in the pockets of US companies”, excerpt:
   
   "The tour came with the announcement of millions of dollars of economic assistance from the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). But the reality is that the economic aid is flowing in the direction of a small number of US companies rather than the countries on Bush’s glossy itinerary.
   
   Almost 90% of all OPIC aid goes to ten US-based recipient firms including Caterpillar, Citibank and the Bechtel Corporation. Before the lid was blown on corruption at the firm, Enron was one of the biggest recipients of this corporate welfare handout."
   
   
   more:
   http://www.globalissues.org/article/35/ … assistance

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   bgpappaposted 14 years ago

   I think Israel has been well explained here.  As for Egypt, most of Egypt is a third world country with extreme poverty.  Its not just pyramids.  A major portion of Egypt's economy (I heard 70 percent from a friend who was just there but don't know if this is an accurate number) is in tourism, which has been down drastically in recent years.  Except for the portions near the Nile, most of Egypt is desert.  They need the aid and if America can help it should.

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   Iðunnposted 14 years ago

   Since the foreign aid we are discussing is less than 1% of the federal budget and since that amount is also the same as both the Food Stamp and the TANF program (1% of the federal budget each),
   
   http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-runawaywelfare.htm
   
   "The two largest welfare programs for the poor, AFDC and food stamps, each take up only 1 percent of the combined government budgets."
   
   does anyone want to talk about why we give the same amount of money divided up among all poor Americans nationwide for cash aid and food that we give to 10 profitable corporations (to redistribute to their respective billionaire CEOs) annually?

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