By Mike Coogan
If money talks, then Congress just said that U.S. military aid to Israel is two times more important than American jobs.
The recent $15 billion jobs bill pales in comparison to the $30 billion in military aid that we are slated to give Israel. The decision by Congress to put requests by the Israeli government before the needs of working Americans is not only insulting, it's a violation of U.S. laws.
The logic for stopping U.S. military aid to Israel is simple. Israel should not be allowed to have our weapons for the same reason that a violent felon should not have a gun.
They are using our bullets to kill Palestinian moms, dads and kids. They are using our white phosphorus shells to burn families alive in UN compounds.
Entire communities, schools and ambulances full of innocent civilians are being destroyed by our missiles, fired from our planes.
Homes and fields in the West Bank are being destroyed by our bulldozers. Illegal settlements are being guarded by our humvees and M-14's.
The connection could not be more direct.
The laws could not be more clear (Arms Export Control Act, Foreign Assistance Act, Leahy Amendment). U.S. military aid to Israel is illegal, it's immoral and it does not advance U.S. interests.
People may argue "but military aid to Israel is necessary, it is a vibrant democractic ally in a sea of hostile dictatorships."
A democracy where rights are based on ethnicity is hardly a democracy. Even our own State Department reports that there is "institutional, legal and societal discrimination against Israeli Arabs." People also tend to blindly endorse the idea that Israel continues to be a valuable and reliable ally.
We give Israel approximately three billion dollars a year and all we hear from them is "no."
Will you stop building illegal settlements? "No."
Will you stop ethnically cleansing Jerusalem? "No."
Will you use our weapons responsibly? "No."
Will you allow more basic food, medical and reconstruction materials into Gaza? "No."
Is that is how Israel treats us, their ally, can you imagine how they treat the Palestinians?
The Israeli government shows no sign that it will change its policies, though they have changed their marketing strategy.
Israel is currently engaged in a propaganda campaign called "Re-brand Israel." The campaign is designed to do exactly that, associate Israel with things like great ballet, not apartheid and oppression.
Recently, Israel went to great lengths to publicize its work in Haiti, hoping we would forget about the 1.5 million people in Gaza who can't even import pasta because of its potential to be used as a "dual use weapon."
We could laugh Israel's arguments out of the room if we weren't crying for the one and a half million Palestinians desperate for food, clean drinking water, medical supplies and a chance to rebuild their lives.
Israel needs to change its policies, not its brand. Until it does, we should withhold every dollar of military aid.
We have the power to stop these gross human rights abuses. Here is what you can do: Go to aidtoisrael.org to see how much your community is giving to Israel and find out what that money could provide for Americans.
Use the simple tools to write a representative, draft an editorial or set up a Congressional meeting. Visit www.endtheoccupation.org to learn more about what people across the U.S. are doing, and see how you can help.
If you don't know where to start, write me at mike.endtheoccupation@gmail.com.
Aid to Israel costs more than just American jobs, healthcare and our interests generally. It costs millions of people their basic human rights.
As taxpayers and American citizens, we have the power to end this brutal occupation. It's time we use it.
Mike Coogan is a 2007 UP alumnus.
