Israel Seeks $2.2 Billion From U.S. For Gaza Pullout

[Bluezoo]

Israel Seeks $2.2 Billion From U.S. For Gaza Pullout
By DAN WILLIAMS, *******, JERUSALEM


Israel will ask the United States for $2.2 billion, one of the largest aid requests by the Jewish state, to pay for its planned withdrawal from the occupied Gaza Strip, Israeli political sources said on July 11.

The special funding would be used to pay for the pullout from Gaza and a corner of the West Bank slated to begin in the middle of next month, and for the relocation of some 9,000 evacuated Jewish settlers to underpopulated areas of Israel.

Israel is among the largest recipients of U.S. aid, and the $2.2 billion would be in addition to annual aid of around $2.8 billion. Much of the annual funding comes in the form of grants that are spent on U.S. military exports.



A senior Israeli political source said the U.S. aid request was the biggest in recent years, “which is hardly surprising given the unprecedented scale of the Disengagement Plan”.

Israel’s Haaretz daily said the request would be made by aides to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in talks with U.S. National Security Council official Elliot Abrams on the evening of July 11.

The Bush administration has agreed in principle to help fund the Gaza plan, Haaretz said. Washington wants the withdrawals to consolidate a five-month-old truce and spur talks on a U.S.-led “road map” for a Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel.

The Gaza plan funding would be the biggest U.S. aid package to Israel since 1992, when Washington paid $3 billion to make up for damage sustained from Iraqi missile salvoes in the Gulf war.

When Israel held peace negotiations with Syria and the Palestinians in 2000, then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak asked the United States for $20 billion to cover any required Israeli withdrawals. But the talks stalled and the request was scrapped.

Sharon casts the pullout as “disengagement” from 4-1/2 years of fighting with the Palestinians. He faces mounting hostility from rightists who condemn the move as a betrayal of Jewish claims on biblical land and a reward for a Palestinian uprising.

Gaza to Galilee

The cost of the Gaza withdrawal, the first time Israel will have uprooted settlements from occupied land Palestinians want for a state, is estimated at 8 billion shekels ($1.74 billion).

The Israelis leaving Gaza’s 21 settlements and four of 120 West Bank enclaves have been encouraged by the government to move to the underdeveloped, outlying Galilee and Negev regions. This will require heavy investment in infrastructure.

“Israel cannot be just a country of disengagement,” Deputy Premier Shimon Peres told *******. “We have to engage to rebuild a country and that is the development of the Negev and of the Galilee.” He declined to discuss the amount of U.S. aid sought.

The government will spread the pullout cost over three years to keep the national budget deficit from rising significantly.

Haaretz quoted government sources as saying the U.S. money would be for military outlays like relocating army bases and for developing the Galilee and Negev.

The Palestinians, who were this week promised $3 billion in aid from the Group of Eight industrialized nations, welcome the prospect of gaining Gaza but suspect Sharon plans to parlay the pullback into a permanent hold on much of the West Bank, where the vast majority of Israel’s 240,000 settlers live.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=965951&C=mideast

[ComradeStalin]

I wonder if there ever will be a day when we (the US) wont have to pump all this money into israel.

[stephane from Paris]

This time it should be a good chance for peace and a real act against islamic integrism reason to call to jihad!
A far better spending than OIF!

A win/win peace between Israel and Palestinians should cut by 2 the mouth of integrists.

[Pille1234]

This time it should be a good chance for peace and a real act against islamic integrism reason to call to jihad!
A far better spending than OIF!

A win/win peace between Israel and Palestinians should cut by 2 the mouth of integrists.
Those who are looking for will find another reason to promote terror. Of course Israel should leave Gaza and the Westbank and should have never been there in the first place, but that's not going to stop terror. At least not on a global level.

[Palmach]

I wonder if there ever will be a day when we (the US) wont have to pump all this money into israel.


Hmm do you wonder about the day you wont have to pump money into Jorday and Egypt (combined the sum is greater then that spent on Israel and for far less return), not to mention gargantuan sums for Iraq?

[dacanadianbomb]

Im sorry, but why should the US fund the withdrawal ?
I mean besides the question why other countries need funding like this at all.
Maybe there is a logical explanationto this that I do not or cannot know.LAst time I checked Israel was not in a state of famine.

[Javehn]

Im sorry, but why should the US fund the withdrawal ?
I mean besides the question why other countries need funding like this at all.
Maybe there is a logical explanationto this that I do not or cannot know.LAst time I checked Israel was not in a state of famine.

You right , Europe should fund it . I don't see a reason why US should do this (well , someone has to fund it , otherwise it just wan't happend) .

In his recent speech Blare indicated that the reason for UK terror acts is the war in ME . If Europeans feel that way , why they don't do **** on that matter ? Talk is very cheep .

[ComradeStalin]

I wonder if there ever will be a day when we (the US) wont have to pump all this money into israel.


Hmm do you wonder about the day you wont have to pump money into Jorday and Egypt (combined the sum is greater then that spent on Israel and for far less return), not to mention gargantuan sums for Iraq?

Well often times when an Islamic terrorist group makes a video or gives reasons why they hate the US its almost never because of our support of islamic nations but often times its because we are such an obvious supporter of Israel and our presence in the Mid east. So is it really worth it to continue to throw money at Israel when that might create good relations between US and Israel but most of the times makes the terrorist hate us even more? If we were to not support Israel like this and have a neutral stance toward Israel wouldnt that save us money and decrease anti US sentiment in the Mid east. Plus Israel isnt one of the US's major trading partners. Just a thought.

[Moledet]

Im sorry, but why should the US fund the withdrawal ?
I mean besides the question why other countries need funding like this at all.
Maybe there is a logical explanationto this that I do not or cannot know.LAst time I checked Israel was not in a state of famine.

You right , Europe should fund it . I don't see a reason why US should do this (well , someone has to fund it , otherwise it just wan't happend) .

In his recent speech Blare indicated that the reason for UK terror acts is the war in ME . If Europeans feel that way , why they don't do **** on that matter ? Talk is very cheep .
Check Honestreporting.com, that was a lie told by AP, they later apologised.

BTW, no need for the money, it won't happen.

[Moledet]

I wonder if there ever will be a day when we (the US) wont have to pump all this money into israel.


Hmm do you wonder about the day you wont have to pump money into Jorday and Egypt (combined the sum is greater then that spent on Israel and for far less return), not to mention gargantuan sums for Iraq?

Well often times when an Islamic terrorist group makes a video or gives reasons why they hate the US its almost never because of our support of islamic nations but often times its because we are such an obvious supporter of Israel and our presence in the Mid east. So is it really worth it to continue to throw money at Israel when that might create good relations between US and Israel but most of the times makes the terrorist hate us even more? If we were to not support Israel like this and have a neutral stance toward Israel wouldnt that save us money and decrease anti US sentiment in the Mid east. Plus Israel isnt one of the US's major trading partners. Just a thought.
Yep, last few years certainly proved to Europe how much good it does to not support Israel.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Yep, last few years certainly proved to Europe how much good it does to not support Israel.I don't get it.

[Moledet]

Yep, last few years certainly proved to Europe how much good it does to not support Israel.I don't get it.
Istanbul, Madrid, London.
It doesn't matter if you support us or not, as long as you are infidels you'd get attacked.

[Kilgor]

This time it should be a good chance for peace and a real act against islamic integrism reason to call to jihad!
A far better spending than OIF!

A win/win peace between Israel and Palestinians should cut by 2 the mouth of integrists.


When arafat died it was the best chance for peace.

[machupichu]

Im sorry, but why should the US fund the withdrawal ?
I mean besides the question why other countries need funding like this at all.
Maybe there is a logical explanationto this that I do not or cannot know.LAst time I checked Israel was not in a state of famine.

You right , Europe should fund it . I don't see a reason why US should do this (well , someone has to fund it , otherwise it just wan't happend) .

In his recent speech Blare indicated that the reason for UK terror acts is the war in ME . If Europeans feel that way , why they don't do **** on that matter ? Talk is very cheep .
:lol:
yeah, someone has to fund it. hey, ive got a very crazy idea! what if the people who caused the whole mess will pay for it?
rofl

[sferrin]

Israel Seeks $2.2 Billion From U.S. For Gaza Pullout
By DAN WILLIAMS, *******, JERUSALEM


.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=965951&C=mideast

I gotta better idea. Tell them to ask China.

[soma]

We should get their hot women in exchange. Capitalism isn't free!

[alexz]

Israel Seeks $2.2 Billion From U.S. For Gaza Pullout
By DAN WILLIAMS, *******, JERUSALEM


.
For the full text, go to:
http://defensenews.com/story.php?F=965951&C=mideast

I gotta better idea. Tell them to ask China.

Then the US can increase it's military aid (currently 2 Billion) to Egypt;
which will thank the US with extra 1000 suicide bomber in Iraq and
perhaps New York again.

[NicNZ]

I wonder if there ever will be a day when we (the US) wont have to pump all this money into israel.
About ten minutes after the Jewish community holds less political influence in the US, I imagine. Then there is the hardline Christian community to deal with, which believes that Israel has a biblical mandate to occupy the bulk of the Middle East. Ah the joys of a semi-secular state! ;)

[gaijinsamurai]

According to a liberal Arab-American friend of mine, the growing concensus among moderate Arabs is that it is the hardcore Christian fundamentalists, and not the Jewish community, who are their worst enemies. They see the Jews as at least being somewhat realistic about the future of the Middle East, and by and large, a little more mature in knowing that both sides have to make some compromises.

[Secret Squirrel]

According to a liberal Arab-American friend of mine, the growing concensus among moderate Arabs is that it is the hardcore Christian fundamentalists, and not the Jewish community, who are their worst enemies. They see the Jews as at least being somewhat realistic about the future of the Middle East, and by and large, a little more mature in knowing that both sides have to make some compromises.

The christian fundamentalists support Israel because for their "Rapture" to occur, Israel has to exist so that 2/3 of it's population can be destroyed.

[NicNZ]

According to a liberal Arab-American friend of mine, the growing concensus among moderate Arabs is that it is the hardcore Christian fundamentalists, and not the Jewish community, who are their worst enemies. They see the Jews as at least being somewhat realistic about the future of the Middle East, and by and large, a little more mature in knowing that both sides have to make some compromises.

I have heard similar sentiments, though Jewish-Americans in the US (ie. Not in Israel) might be just as detached from the reality of the situation, I imagine. A political dilemna for the US, nonetheless.

[SOG]

well ****, how much do we pay egypt every year in "aid"? if this process truly calms things down a bit then maybe it is worth it. after all, the US always stood up and shook its finger at israel when israel wanted to take serious action. time we took action and put up if this will work and if we want it to work.

[alexz]

Which precentage of the US aid money is spent in Israel to buy localy made arms and which is spent in the US?

[Javehn]

Im sorry, but why should the US fund the withdrawal ?
I mean besides the question why other countries need funding like this at all.
Maybe there is a logical explanationto this that I do not or cannot know.LAst time I checked Israel was not in a state of famine.

You right , Europe should fund it . I don't see a reason why US should do this (well , someone has to fund it , otherwise it just wan't happend) .

In his recent speech Blare indicated that the reason for UK terror acts is the war in ME . If Europeans feel that way , why they don't do **** on that matter ? Talk is very cheep .
:lol:
yeah, someone has to fund it. hey, ive got a very crazy idea! what if the people who caused the whole mess will pay for it?
rofl

Your European union were pretty happy to add nice money ammount to PA authority after poolout , which , and that only my educated guess , have some part in , what you described as a "whole mess" . It makes me get confused - Are PA pooling out of Gaza and loosing 2 Bilion $ for it ?

[catalyst]

What will cost so much to Israel? They are leaving....not like they gotta build more stuff?

[Javehn]

What will cost so much to Israel? They are leaving....not like they gotta build more stuff?

New appartments for the evacuated . Trasferring their ****. Transferring the **** of the soldiers and equipment . Payment for 2 divisions of reserve soldiers who would be drafted for this occasion . And so on .
Nothing is free on this world besides the love of a mother .

[catalyst]

SO if Israel cannot fund itself? How is that Americas problem....If New Zealand asked Australia to help it move soem residents from the South Island to the North....should Australia pay?

If America wants to pay 2billion for this then let them go....but if the Australian government did this.....i would tell the where 2 go...

[NicNZ]

Which precentage of the US aid money is spent in Israel to buy localy made arms and which is spent in the US?
Same can be asked of Egypt. Its been a long time since Egypt relied on Russia for arms and hardware.

[Nordic Fire]

The christian fundamentalists support Israel because for their "Rapture" to occur, Israel has to exist so that 2/3 of it's population can be destroyed.
Heh. Can't fault that logic. ;)

It's amazing how mixing religion with politics always results in a mess. Many things can be said about EU, but at least we'll have a 100% secular constitution and we keep our christian nutjobs (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3992761.stm) (or theo-cons) on a tight leash.

[ComradeStalin]

Yep, last few years certainly proved to Europe how much good it does to not support Israel.I don't get it.
Istanbul, Madrid, London.
It doesn't matter if you support us or not, as long as you are infidels you'd get attacked.

While there is some truth to that if the US and other Western European nations were to give Israel no aide and a neutral stance a few of the hardcore guys might be around but public support I beleive would begin to erode without one of their major causes.