According to Phyllis Bennis, a fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington D.C., the U.S. provides the following yearly aid to Israel:
military aid: $1.8 billion
economic aid: $1.2 billion
miscellaneous grants, military supplies: app. $1 billion
from the book Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
The situation is very complicated. Israel is the U.S. de facto military base in the Middle East. This is something the U.S. did not have in Southeast Asia during the the Vietnam Conflict. Obama is back up against a wall in this situation. According to Bennis, the U.S. has to support whatever Israel does in order to maintain the alliance.
You Tube: Bennis interview begins after 2 minutes
Amnesty [International] calls on US to suspend arms sales to IsraelAmnesty International Report on Military Aid to Israel:
Hellfire missiles and white phosphorus artillery shells among weapons used in 'indiscriminate' attacks on civilians, says human rights group
* Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem* guardian.co.uk, Monday 23 February 2009 09.14 GMTLondon Guardian
Detailed evidence has emerged of Israel's extensive use of US-made weaponry during its war in Gaza last month, including white phosphorus artillery shells, 500lb bombs and Hellfire missiles.
In a report released today, Amnesty International listed the weapons used and called for an immediate arms embargo on Israel and all Palestinian armed groups. It called on the US president, Barack Obama, to suspend military aid to Israel.
The human rights group said those arming both sides in the conflict "will have been well aware of a pattern of repeated misuse of weapons by both parties and must therefore take responsibility for the violations perpetrated".
The US has long been the largest arms supplier to Israel; under a 10-year agreement negotiated by the Bush administration the US will provide $30bn (£21bn) in military aid to Israel.
"As the major supplier of weapons to Israel, the USA has a particular obligation to stop any supply that contributes to gross violations of the laws of war and of human rights," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa programme director. "To a large extent, Israel's military offensive in Gaza was carried out with weapons, munitions and military equipment supplied by the USA and paid for with US taxpayers' money."
For their part, Palestinian militants in Gaza were arming themselves with "unsophisticated weapons" including rockets made in Russia, Iran and China and bought from "clandestine sources", it said. About 1,300 Palestinians were killed and more than 4,000 injured during the three-week conflict. On the Israeli side 13 were killed, including three civilians. Amnesty said Israel's armed forces carried out "direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Gaza, and attacks which were disproportionate or indiscriminate". more
Gaza
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