US Politicians Put Israel Ahead Of Disaster-Hit Americans – OpEd

Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid, having received more than $310 billion (adjusted for inflation) since its founding in 1948. That funding has allowed Israel to arm and train its forces to fight wars and impose military rule over the lands it occupies.

In fact, Israel “has been using American-made weapons” to fight its wars “for decades,” according to the Council on Foreign Relations. “The extraordinary flow of aid has included tank and artillery ammunition, bombs, rockets and small arms,” the council stated in areportthis year.

In the years prior to Oct. 7, 2023, whenever Hamas attacked Israel, it responded with repeated strikes using American weapons, targeting and killing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. It was always confident that it would never have to worry about running out of bombs, missiles, tanks, armor or bullets. During the past decade, for example, America has been giving Israel an annual sum of $3.8 billion.

Whenever the victims of Israel’s violence respond with violence, they are labeled as “terrorists,” triggering an emergency. America duly proceeds to give Israel even more military aid. Since the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, for example, America has approved tens of billions of dollars in additional funding for Israel.

Presidents, members of Congress and many local officials who receive massive campaign donations and either fully or partially paid trips to Israel from pro-Israeli political action committees have never hesitated to support the funding of Israel because it is a vote-winner. Unfortunately, these American officials do not always have the same concern for their own citizens, especially when it comes to funding.

For example, all Americans who are at least 62 years of age receive monthly Social Security benefits, which effectively return some of the taxes these citizens gave to their government while they worked over the 45-year qualifying period. The Social Security system is on the brink of collapse but, rather than giving it the $100 billion needed to strengthen it and ensure its continuity, members of Congress are suggesting that it be “reorganized.”

And, last month, residents of many Southern states, including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, faced terror when struck by Hurricane Helene, the deadliest hurricane to hit the US mainland since Katrina in 2005. Helene caused catastrophicdamage, killing more than 220 people, erasing whole towns and communities and leaving tens of thousands of Americans without power or drinkable water.

The total damage and economic loss caused by Helene isestimatedto be more than $250 billion, not including the money needed to help the thousands of families who need immediate shelter, food, clothing and support.

Yet, those members of Congress, Republicans and Democrats alike, who rallied without engaging in a political debate to fast-track money to Israel, are today engaged in an embarrassing public row over help for the victims of Hurricane Helene.

Unlike Israel, which can call on the White House or Congress anytime it wants money to brutalize Arabs and Muslims, Americans have to go through a bureaucratic government agency called the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

FEMA is supposed to provide relief to Americans who suffer catastrophic tragedy, usually as a result of natural disasters. Unfortunately, it does not have the money to care for the victims of Hurricane Helene and that has created a rift between political opportunists who are using the shortfall to undermine the election chances of their rivals.

Helene hit the American coastline on Sept. 26 before dissipating from a hurricane to a tropical storm the following day. But it was not until Oct. 2 that President Joe Biden traveled to North Carolina to witness the devastation. After the president’s helicopter tour, the White House and FEMAannouncedthey were providing a mere $20 million to help the victims.

The next day, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson denounced Biden and FEMA for not doing enough. Biden then increased the funding to $45 million. Ironically, Johnson and many of his fellow Republicans had, on Sept. 25, voted against $20 billion of additional funding for FEMA, though the bill passed anyway.

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that FEMA would still run out of money long before the end of the hurricane season, which will continue throughout November.

Will Americans get the funding they need to fight off the catastrophic devastation caused by Hurricane Helene — and with Hurricane Milton expected to hit Florida on Wednesday — as fast as Israel gets the money to continue its genocide in Gaza, attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanon and threatened nuclear war against Iran?

If you listen to the political debate in the US today, Americans who need help should be prepared for a long, drawn-out struggle to survive. Congress is now in recess and will not reconvene until after the Nov. 5 elections, so it is unlikely that any additional funds will be approved.

However, Congress does not need to be in session for the White House to grant additional emergency aid to Israel. There is no doubt that, if requested, funding for Israel would be fast-tracked ahead of relief for needy Americans.

It can take months to get money from FEMA. When my own home flooded in 1997, it took three months to get $50,000 to repair it. I had to rely on relatives to repair the damage until the FEMA money came in.

I doubt Israel will ever have to wait in line for American money to fuel its wars and strikes on Arab and Muslim targets.