On U.S. military aid to Israel

"It has become a problem which seems almost insoluble. If I were a Jew, I would tell them: 'Do not be so silly as to resort to terrorism...' The Jews should meet the Arabs, make friends with them and not depend on British aid or American aid, save what descends from Jehovah." Mahatma Ghandi

Martin Luther King, Jr. once wrote, "When people criticize Zionism, they mean Jews--this is God's own truth." I won't bother arguing against him, but nor will I allow myself to be muzzled by fear of being considered Anti-Semitic, because I know myself, and I know that I am not. (Ghandi and Einstein (a Jew) were anti-Zionist)

For half a century, the Israeli government and a group of Palestinians have been fighting a guerilla war. Palestinian suicide bombers have killed hundreds of Israelis, many of them civilians, while Israel has used it's military to kill hundreds of Palestinians, many of them civilians, and restrict the freedoms of all Palestinians through curfews, checkpoints, and other legal forms of discrimination. Currently, Israel is undergoing a project of building a wall across Israel to divide the two peoples, in hopes of isolating themselves from the threat of suicide bombers; in the process they divide communities, and families, further reducing the chances of a much-needed reconciliation between the peoples. Many on both sides have suffered losses at the hands of their neighbors. It's clear to me that if a Palestinian suicide kills 10 innocent people, then it is just as detestable as an Israeli military action that kills 10 innocents. What's worse is that each of these actions inspires the victim's people to act out in anger, creating more of the same. It's a vicious cycle with no clear end in sight. It seems to be quite a mess, and I would question the reasoning of any person who strongly supports one of these groups over the other. Yet our American government is doing just that.

Israel is the single largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. It has received nearly $100 Billion dollars since it's creation in the '50s, and continues to receive aid at the rate of $2 Billion per year. That's 30% of our foreign aid going to a wealthy, self-supporting nation capable of providing it's own defense. That's the fruit of your labor, going to support Israel, enabling them to act in ways that, while sometimes justified, often result in unnecessary harm and the death of innocents, not to mention the effect on the lives of Palestinians who must live under the restrictions of an Israeli police-state.

In any case, I reject and condemn the actions of both sides in this conflict. It's just that, in the case of Israel, thanks to the government's actions, my money goes to support these actions. That my efforts are being turned against innocent Palestinians and in turn, inciting violence against innocent Jews, saddens me. Even still, we have little choice in the matter, the amount of foreign military aid going toward Israel in 2005 will increase to more than $2.2 Billion dollars.

So when you see those shirts that say "I *heart* Israel," remember that, thanks to the government, you may as well *heart* Israel too, because your money is going over there just the same as if you sent it via charity.

• Amnesty International's 2004 Report on Israeli Human Rights Abuses
• Amnesty International's 2004 Report on Palestinian Authority Human Rights Abuses
• Texans for Israel