United States funds then defends Israeli violence
Since the beginning of this year, a total of 82 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and defense forces. This month alone, 46 Palestinians, including 9 children have died. Still, the United States enables and defends Israel’s actions.
In a joint press conference with South Korean president Park Guen-Hye President Barrack Obama expressed his concern for Israel’s safety in the midst of the recent Palestinian uprising.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms violence directed against innocent people, and believe that Israel has a right to maintain basic law and order and protect its citizens from knife attacks, and violence on the streets,” Obama said when asked about the rise in deaths in Israel and Palestine.
In 2007, the Israeli government and the George W. Bush Administration agreed to a 10-year military aid package worth $30 billion.
Almost all form of U.S. aid that has went to Israel since World War II was in the form of military assistance. The money has allowed Israel to become one of the most technologically advanced and sophisticated militaries in the world. The aid was intended to sustain Israel’s “qualitative military edge” (QME) over neighboring militaries, according to a report released earlier this year. Since 1962, the total amount of aid Israel has received from the U.S. has reached $100 billion with $3.1 billion of aid received just this past year.
But Israeli news outlet Haaretz reported that Israel is expected to see an increase in its military aid provided by the U.S. This increase will be approximately $1 billion by the end of the decade.
Al-Haq, an independent Palestinian non-governmental human rights organization based in Ramallah, was established to protect and promote human rights and the rule of the law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The organization released an update on October 22nd regarding the unlawful killings of Palestinians by Israeli Occupying Forces since last month.
Al-Haq provided documentation on certain incidents in the report as well as descriptions of five individuals that were victims of some of the unlawful killings committed by Israeli forces.
Amnesty International released a public statement on October 9th in which it condemned all attacks on civilians, in addition to Israeli civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It calls on all sides to put an end to the violence. Amnesty International also condemned the use of extreme force by Israeli forces against Palestinian demonstrators in the occupied West Bank and failing to protect the Palestinians from settler attacks: “The organization urges the Israeli authorities to halt the use of excessive force and unlawful killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces, end punitive home demolitions and other collective punishment of Palestinians, and ensure that Israeli troops, police and civilians responsible for unlawful attacks on Palestinian civilians in the OPT are held accountable.”
American Muslims for Palestine, an organization working to educate the American population about the culture, history, and occupation of Palestine, posted a fact sheet on the US aid to Israel up to the year of 2015. Included in the fact sheet is the total of American aid to Israel since the year of 1941 which exceeds $121 billion. Israel is also receiving funding through the Defense appropriations bills for missile defence programs.
