As the U.S. ups military funding for Israel, Israel approves more spending on settlements

[cali]

in the West Bank. Settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. No wriggle room on that at all.

Note: This issue is not just about I/P. It's about the U.S. and Congress approving unprecedented financial support for Israel.




U.S. and Israel Continue Negotiating Unprecedented Military Funding

Democracy Now! | June 16, 2016

This comes as U.S. officials announce breakthroughs in talks over increased U.S. military funding to Israel. While visiting Israel for the talks, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke out.


Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken: "Under this administration, the United States has invested nearly $24 billion in foreign military financing for Israel since 2009, far more than for any other country, more than at any other previous time in the history of the U.S.-Israel relationship. We’re also prepared to sign a new 10-year memorandum of understanding that would constitute the largest single pledge of military assistance from the United States to any country in our history."

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken also said U.S. military funding to Israel currently amounts to $8.5 million every single day.
read:http://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/16/headlines/us_and_israel_continue_negotiating_unprecedented_military_funding


Israel Approves Additional Funding for Settlements in West Bank


JERUSALEM — The Israeli government on Sunday approved about $20 million in additional financing for Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, underlining its strengthened right-wing orientation and raising the ire of political opponents and the Palestinians.

The move came as the Israeli hard-liner Avigdor Lieberman was to arrive in Washington on his first visit in his new role as defense minister, where he is expected to meet with Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter. Mr. Lieberman, a settler, was appointed last month in a coalition deal that brought his ultranationalist Yisrael Beiteinu party into the government.

The new money would add to what the settlements already receive from various parts of the government’s budget. It was approved days after blistering condemnations of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by two former Israeli defense ministers and military chiefs of staff. Speaking at a prestigious security conference, they accused the prime minister and his government of pushing a divisive agenda that threatened Israel’s future as a Jewish democracy and undermined its core values.

More:
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/20/world/middleeast/israel-west-bank-settlements-palestinians.html?_r=0

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. So.....maybe our money to Israel is helping support funding for settlements?

[cali]

3. I think one would have to say yes to that. It's not direct funding but

it's hard to imagine that it doesn't free up other funds.

[arcane1]

4. Thereby angering more people in the Middle East, leading to more terrorist activity.

Which then conveniently requires us to increase domestic surveillance and spend even more on Homeland Security.

What an astonishing string of totally unrelated coincidences.

[malaise]

2. The law only applies to

non-allies