Information from the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation.

Overview:

Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid. In August 2007, the United States and Israel signed an agreement to increase arms transfers to Israel to $30 billion over the next decade. President- Elect Obama already has pledged to implement this agreement without any conditions.

  

Specific Military Aid:

• Israel is carrying out its aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip with U.S.-provided F16 fighter jets and Apache helicopter gunships. From 2001-2006, theUnited States provided Israel with more than $200 million in spare parts for its fighter jets and more than $100 million in spare parts for its helicopter gunships.
   

• In July 2008, the United States provided Israel with 186 million gallons of JP-8 aviation jet fuel to fly its fleet of F16's and Apaches.
   

•  In July 2008, the United States signed a contract to transfer $1.9 billion of naval combat ships to Israel. Israel is bombarding the Gaza Strip by sea with naval combat ships and on December 30, the Israeli navy intentionally rammed a boat in international waterswhich was carrying medical supplies to the Gaza Strip, nearly causing it to sink. The passengers of The Dignity included doctors and recent Green Party Presidentialcandidate Cynthia McKinney.
   

• Israeli aircraft and ships fire missiles and bombs provided by the United States. In October 2007, the United States signed a $1.3 billion contract with Raytheon to transfer to Israel thousands of TOW, Hellfire, and "bunker buster" missiles.
   

• Israel also is dropping GBU-39 small diameter bombs on the Gaza Strip. According to weapons experts, these bombs contain uranium oxide and have left behind radioactive contamination in places such as Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan. In September 2008, Boeing received a $77 million contract to transfer 1,000 of these bombs to Israel.
   

• Israel invaded the Gaza Strip by ground using tanks, armored personnel carriers, and other military vehicles with troops wearing night-vision goggles. Since 2001, the United States has given Israel more than $300 million in tank components and spare parts and various military vehicles, and nearly $150 million in night-vision goggles and scopes.

 

Against US Law:

 All U.S. aid programs, whether military or economic, have built-in mechanisms to prevent that aid from being used by countries to commit human rights abuses. According to U.S. law, countries that commit human rights abuses with U.S. aid are to be sanctioned and aid is to be cut off. The Arms Export Control Act (P.L. 80-829) stipulates that countries purchasing or receiving U.S. weapons cannot use them against civilians and must restrict their usage to “internal security” and “legitimate self-defense.” Israel repeatedly uses U.S. weapons to commit human rights violations against civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and in Lebanon. Indeed, Israel could not maintain its illegal 41-year military occupation and siege of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip without these weapons.

According to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (P.L. 87-195), “No assistance may be provided under this part [of the law] to the government of any country which engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.” As documented not only by Palestinian, Israeli, and international human rights groups, but by the U.S. government as well, Israel has an atrocious human rights record and therefore should be ineligible for any form of U.S. aid.