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LymphocyteLover

(6,557 posts)
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:08 AM Feb 2024

It seems like is the US is selling weapons to Israel, not just giving them for free as military aid

Yet I keep hearing how the US is actively supplying Israel with weapons, like we're just giving them away without restrictions because (as so many on the left say) that Biden wants to enable Israel's genocide.

My question is-- is there a meaningful difference between selling and giving? (I think there is)
And do we know if there is any restriction on what the US is selling to Israel?

16 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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It seems like is the US is selling weapons to Israel, not just giving them for free as military aid (Original Post) LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 OP
My answer would be claudette Feb 2024 #1
It is meaningful to those whose argument is that they don't want their taxes to go to foreign aid. Beastly Boy Feb 2024 #2
To me, even selling the weapons is wrong because Netanyahu's IDF uses them on innocent civilians. Lonestarblue Feb 2024 #3
Often the weapons are purchased with U.S. funds Doc Sportello Feb 2024 #4
OK thanks for the info but LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #7
Not up to me to back up your bogus claim Doc Sportello Feb 2024 #9
What??? So to be clear, LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #10
"Many people say" and deflection is all you got? Doc Sportello Feb 2024 #12
Wow. First of all, I'm still not clear why what I said is a smear! LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #13
"Of course you don't respond to the factually wrong claim that Israel is helping the U.S. by buying weapons ..." LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #14
A non-response response Doc Sportello Feb 2024 #15
The problem is that i never made the specific claim that LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #16
Probably not much difference. SarahD Feb 2024 #5
thanks-- but what sources? Public or personal? LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #6
Personal. SarahD Feb 2024 #8
thanks LymphocyteLover Feb 2024 #11

claudette

(4,387 posts)
1. My answer would be
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:14 AM
Feb 2024

There is no difference. Either way the weapons are apparently being used to deliberately kill innocents. Actually profiting from the sale of these weapons is just as bad as if not worse than giving weapons for free. In my view

Beastly Boy

(11,015 posts)
2. It is meaningful to those whose argument is that they don't want their taxes to go to foreign aid.
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:17 AM
Feb 2024

And, on the other hand, that selling weapons to Israel rather than Israel producing weapons themselves creates American jobs rather than jobs in Israel.

Lonestarblue

(11,558 posts)
3. To me, even selling the weapons is wrong because Netanyahu's IDF uses them on innocent civilians.
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:18 AM
Feb 2024

Yes, in any war civilians die. But 75-89% of the people killed by the IDF are not Hamas fighters. They are mostly women and children. The IDF has failed to capture or kill the Hamas senior leaders, so all they are doing now is waging war on a few junior foot soldiers and civilians. The leaders are most likely in another country by now, having escaped through their tunnels. At this point, continuing the war is unlikely to gain Israel much more than the world’s disgust at needless killing.

Doc Sportello

(7,957 posts)
4. Often the weapons are purchased with U.S. funds
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:57 AM
Feb 2024

The U.S. has given Israel $30B over the years, with requirements that much of it be used for purchase of military products. So, to draw a line: to claim that Israel is only using its own funds to buy military weapons from the U.S. is as wrong as it is to state that "many" on the left say Biden wants genocide. Both are factually wrong.

Most of the aid—approximately $3.3 billion a year—is provided as grants under the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program, funds that Israel must use to purchase U.S. military equipment and services. Israel has also historically been permitted to use a portion of its FMF aid to buy equipment from Israeli defense firms—a benefit not granted to other recipients of U.S. military aid—but this domestic procurement is to be phased out in the next few years. U.S. aid reportedly accounts for some 15 percent of Israel’s defense budget. Israel, like many other countries, also buys U.S. military products outside of the FMF program.

Additionally, $500 million a year is slated for Israeli and joint U.S.-Israeli missile defense programs, in which the two countries collaborate on the research, development, and production of these systems used by Israel, including the Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow II. Iron Dome was solely developed by Israel, but the United States has been a production partner since 2014. For instance, the U.S. military contractor Raytheon manufactures Tamir interceptor missiles for Israel’s Iron Dome at its facilities in Arizona.


https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts

Doc Sportello

(7,957 posts)
9. Not up to me to back up your bogus claim
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 01:07 PM
Feb 2024

It's become common on here to make this slur against those who criticize Israel's plocies in Gaza - without offering any facts or example.s The word many, according to the dictionary, means a large number or majority of people. So if you're talking about DU, that would mean dozens have written that, of which I haven't seen one instance. Can you provide instances of dozens? Of course if you're referring to elected officials it would refer to hundreds. Can you provide hundreds of examples of left-leaning officials who have make this claim. Not one, or two but hundreds. Examples?

Of course you don't respond to the factually wrong claim that Israel is helping the U.S. by buying weapons - when in fact it is being given these weapons through agreements to use U.S. funding to purchase them. Correct?

LymphocyteLover

(6,557 posts)
10. What??? So to be clear,
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 02:19 PM
Feb 2024

you're claiming that people on the left are *not* saying that 'Biden supports Israel's genocide'??

Do you ever go to twitter? Because it's all over the place on that site. Also I have a lot of lefty friends on FB who say the same thing.

So what is your position then? Israel is committing genocide but Biden is just reluctantly going along with it?

Doc Sportello

(7,957 posts)
12. "Many people say" and deflection is all you got?
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 09:48 PM
Feb 2024

I asked you to give examples of the "many" on the left you are talking about and you respond with claims of twitter and Facebook posts? Sheesh. Your claim implies that dozens of official and DU posters are doing this, which you provide ZERO proof of. Not one. And in another post you demand a poster who disagrees to post links to back up their statements. Can you at least be honest enough to admit the hypocrisy?

Again, it isn't up to me to prove you wrong, it's up to you to provide proof of your claims and you can't do it. So we get deflection since you can't back up your claim and a trumpian "many people say" on Facebook and twitter as if that's proof. My position is clear: some posters on here are regularly making baseless claims of antisemitism with the full intent of suppressing any criticism of Israel.

So what's your position? That it's ok to smear people who disagree with you and others on Israel? Because it happens here everyday and when asked to back it up, the same routine is followed: deflections filled with "what-aboutism", many people say, and more personal attacks. I guess the latter is coming next.

LymphocyteLover

(6,557 posts)
13. Wow. First of all, I'm still not clear why what I said is a smear!
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:30 PM
Feb 2024

I didn't intend it as a smear, I just see is as a common sentiment. Saying many people on the left certainly doesn't imply people here at DU or Dem officials. Quite the opposite or I would have said "many Democrats".

And while it's something I've seen a lot online, you'll just have to take my word for it. It's not like I save tweets saying this and I'm not going to waste my time trying to search for a bunch of them to satisfy you.

But here's one I saw just today from Sarah Kendzior:


?s=20




Lastly, I still don't understand what your position is!

You think a genocide is going on, right?

LymphocyteLover

(6,557 posts)
14. "Of course you don't respond to the factually wrong claim that Israel is helping the U.S. by buying weapons ..."
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 10:33 PM
Feb 2024

"Of course you don't respond to the factually wrong claim that Israel is helping the U.S. by buying weapons - when in fact it is being given these weapons through agreements to use U.S. funding to purchase them. Correct?"

I said "thanks for the info" for your correction. Isn't that a response?

LymphocyteLover

(6,557 posts)
16. The problem is that i never made the specific claim that
Mon Feb 26, 2024, 04:35 PM
Feb 2024

"Israel is helping the U.S. by buying weapons - when in fact it is being given these weapons through agreements to use U.S. funding to purchase them."

Those are your words. I never said that.

So why would I apologize or anything else for that?

This is such a weird exchange.

 

SarahD

(1,732 posts)
5. Probably not much difference.
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 11:20 AM
Feb 2024

I think we send them an invoice, but it may not get paid. My sources tell me we have done this since FDR's lend-lease program in WWII.

 

SarahD

(1,732 posts)
8. Personal.
Sun Feb 25, 2024, 01:01 PM
Feb 2024

I know somebody who keeps track of military spending. They actually work for the military and have access to procurement information.

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