Forum Post: Aid to Israel might become mandatory tax - Council for the National Interest

Dear Friend:

This is an urgent call to action.

The Israel Lobby has narrowed its sights on three pieces of legislation. Predictably, the bills are not in America’s best interest.

But these initiatives are far worse—more dangerous—than in recent years.

The Lobby is demanding full funding for Israel’s war machine. They want to be exempt from sequestration—the mandatory reduction of all federal expenditures. Social Security payments are undergoing cuts. FBI expenditures are being reduced. Education Department services are decreasing. What about trimming the $3.2 billion in American military aid to Israel? Not one dime if the Israel Lobby gets its way. While not a specific bill, they are lobbying Congress for subtle changes to its sequestration statutes and procedures so Israel’s military pipeline to American tax dollars will not be affected.

Please tell your Representative that Americans are shouldering too much in the tax-and-spend adjustments; making an exception for aid to Israel is adding insult to injury.

New legislation is in the works that would make Israel a “major strategic ally,” a privileged relationship that no other nation enjoys. The bill, H.R. 938 United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2013, was introduced in the House by Ileana, a Republican and Ted Deutch, a Democrat, both from Florida. It would also protect aid to Israel from any future across-the-board budget cuts.

The legislation will make permanent a number of Washington-Tel Aviv interactions including annual defense assistance, military technology, energy research, and cyber security. It also calls for Israel to join the program that waives pre-arranged visas for select nationals entering the United States. Israel’s espionage activities are well-documented: lowering of visa standards can only lead to more infiltration. This bill creates a relationship that even Canada and Great Britain, who fought alongside American soldiers in WWII, do not enjoy.

Please tell your Representative that Americans want a fair foreign policy that encourages peace and justice in the Middle East. The history of our Israel first policies has crippled US strategic, economic, diplomatic, and humanitarian activities in that vital region of the world.

Finally, there is the continuing threat of war with Iran. It has now gone one step beyond saber rattling. A new bill, HR 850, introduced by the influential House Foreign Affairs Chairman Ed Royce, R-CA and supported by ranking Democrat Eliot L. Engel of New York would extend existing sanctions targeting Iran’s energy and financial transactions to include an even broader range of its commerce with the rest of the world. Several senators are working on a measure that is expected to be even more expansive. Dare we push Iran to the brink—is it wise to gamble on US military intervention in a deadly Israel-Iran war?

Please tell your Representative to take a step back, to put some space between a stable, sane foreign policy and the path to an all-out war. And make no mistake about it: if it comes to military action, Iran will not be fought in a series of skirmishes. And, as you gear up for this latest fight, please be generous in your support of CNI. We must explain the dangers these initiatives pose, debate the issues in the media, and research the ramifications of such legislation. CNI is only able to do this with your continued support. Will you take a moment, while you are reading this, to invest $25, $50, or even $150? Your gift will be put to good use immediately. I cannot stress enough the importance of fighting the Israel Lobby on the items I’ve outlined above. And I cannot let this message go out without asking you for a special contribution of $50 or even $500. Just $25 or $35 will go a long way in this new battlefront.

Whether or not you can send a gift, please take action regarding this urgent message. Gratefully,

Alison Weir

President http://www.councilforthenationalinterest.org/