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August 20, 2007
On Thursday, August 16, the US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns signed an agreement in Jerusalem promising Israel $30 billion in military grants over the next ten years. This amounts to a 25 percent increase in US military aid to Israel. The agreement now awaits the approval of the US Congress. For some time, Israel has been receiving annually around $3 billion in aid. The US also allows Israel to spend 26.3 percent of its military grants on its own Israeli arms industry, rather than merely receiving US-made arms.
No other recipients of American military aid are permitted such a privilege. In July, for example, the Bush administration offered to sell $20 billion worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. The average American may fail to notice the distinction between such arms sales to the Gulf and the outright gifts to Israel.
The substantial increase in military support for Israel will undoubtedly face criticism here and abroad. US taxpayers are being asked to donate $30 billion in weapons to Israel (almost $8 billion of which we end up buying for them from their own companies!) at a time when our own nation's financial resources are stretched thin. According to a June 28, 2007 Congressional Research Service report, the US has spent $611 billion on the "war on terror" ($567 billion of that in Iraq alone) since September 11, 2001. As a result of the financial drain, our own economy, schools, and health care programs are currently in shambles.
Israel has been accused, moreover, of using US weapons to commit routine human rights violations against Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, in disregard of the US Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act. The Israeli army has stated that all the weapons it uses "are legal under international law and their use conforms with international standards." Following Israel's bombing campaign against Lebanon last summer, however, the US State Department carried out an investigation of whether Israel's use of American cluster munitions in Lebanon violated US restrictions regarding their use.
One thousand Lebanese civilians were killed last summer, 400 of them children. Cluster bombs played a part in those casualties. A typical cluster bomb weighs between 900-950 pounds and consists of a canister designed to open in mid-air and disperse some 200-400 submunitions or bomblets. The bomblets are usually brightly colored cylinders, the size of a soda can. On impact, they usually explode and can pierce armor, fragment into shrapnel pieces, and start fires.
They have a particularly deadly record of killing and maiming civilians both during and after an attack. They can kill every living thing within an area as large as two to four football fields. Up to 4 million bomblets (made in USA) were dropped on Lebanon last summer, and around 1 million of those failed to explode. They have contaminated an estimated area of 35 million square meters, only 24 percent of which has yet been de-mined. And they continue to kill. Since August 12, 2006 (when the hostilities ended), casualties from cluster bombs in Lebanon total 30 dead and 194 wounded. Of those 224 casualties, 170 were civilians. Seven of the dead were under the age of 18.
The unexploded cluster bomblets pose a threat to Lebanese agriculture as well. Lands amounting to 35 percent of the citrus sector and another 35 percent of the olive sector have been rendered off-limits, due to the danger presented by the unexploded bomblets.
Aware of such hazards posed by US-made munitions, the Reagan Administration had banned transfers of cluster bombs to Israel from 1982-88. In response to last year's disaster in Lebanon, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed legislation at the end of June 2007, that would effectively ban their export anywhere. This legislation, if approved by the Congress, would translate into law some of the key recommendations of the Senate's recent Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act (S. 594 and H.R. 1755). Bishop Thomas Wenski, Chairman of the Committee on International Policy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, has voiced the Church's support of this legislation. On May 1, 2007, he wrote:
Catholic moral teaching on just war insists that noncombatant immunity be respected and that the use of force be discriminate. The indiscriminate nature of failed cluster bomb "duds" makes them akin to landmines. Cluster munitions pose serious risks to civilians in conflict and post-conflict situations... The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops stands with the Holy See in its call to address the harmful effects of cluster munitions. This commitment flows from the Church's teaching on the protection of human life and dignity... The Conference supports restrictions on the use or export of existing, inaccurate stockpiles of cluster munitions. Additionally, we support restricting the use of these weapons in civilian areas.
At the signing of the new agreement for the $30 billion military grant to Israel, Undersecretary of State Burns called it "an investment in peace." In light of Israel's recent track record in the use of US-made cluster munitions, that remains to be seen.
"As a result of the financial drain, our own economy, schools, and health care programs are currently in shambles." By who's authority? Easy to write, hard to prove.
Submitted by nezatda on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 7:02am.
What JimAroo writes, namely: "The constant drum roll against Israel by certain Christian groups is orchestrated propaganda by the terrorist groups," is complete nonsense. Anyone with eyes and ears, who wishes to investigate the matter, knows without a doubt that Israel has used excessive force, in often unjust exploits, to destroy its neighbors.
The Israeli defense minister, during the war against Lebanon, said "we want to set Lebanon's clock back 20 years." That, is what the war was about, not justice. What is a great way to do that? Make sure they cannot use 35% of their agricultural lands, and bomb their infrastructure. All in the guise of warring on "terror!!" Having a bomb land in front of you while driving is terror.
Also, this is not about which party one belongs to, for the Jews have tons of control over both parties. A democrat would have done the same thing.
Lastly, if Israel were not in the region, which it shouldn't be, then we wouldn't have such a huge terrorist problem (notice I said "huge" for Muslims are certainly a threat, everywhere and always.) Also, Christians would be a lot better off in the region. Remember: Lebanon used to be a Christian nation, until Israel de-stabilized it, and allowed for the Muslims to start taking over.
Israel is simply one of the most unjust states in the world, and the faster they make reparation, the better.
Submitted by petemmiller on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 8:19am.
I do not wish to try to refute any of the very questionable points in the article (there is an oversupply of unsolicited personal views and arguments on-line).
I wish however to say that I feel a chill through my spine everytime I read this kind of loaded 'denunciations' of Israel; especially when they come from our catholic ranks .
Submitted by reachrai on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 8:51am.
Christians are being decimated in the middle east. The factual numbers bear this out from the HOly Land and Iraq, etc... Islamofacists only understand power.
If the civilians don't approve of terrorist tactics, then they can quit supporting the terrorists by not joining their ranks. (Israel isn't the only party hurt by Islamic terrorists. Check out the Iraqi governor just murdered by a roadside bomb.)
I know the terrorists masquerade as the "good guys" to the local population,however. Therefore, whoever has the biggest and baddest weapon wins. That's the accurate history of every Islamic regime. Negotiation isn't in their vocabulary. Might makes right is! Isolate this evil in the world and then surround them with attack dogs.
There, now you have my, not so scientific, opinion. (HEre's 3 bucks to go with it .....buy a Starbucks!)
Submitted by elkabrikir on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 9:20am.
Before I say anything, I just want to let it be known that I am not by any means a knee-jerk Israel supporter or a fan of the Bush administration's Iraq policies. There can be legitimate criticism of the way both parties have handled the conflict in the Middle East, and whether their actions followed the dictates of prudence. But there is also a right way and a wrong way to make your case. Putting the "war on terror" in scare quotes as though this whole conflict with al Qaeda and other Islamic terrorists is some kind of imagined threat is dishonest and inaccurate. Christians in the Middle East are frequently persecuted by Islamists, and downplaying the problem will only put them in more danger.
That said, we can debate whether Israel's bombing of Lebanon last year was an appropriate level of retaliation for the Hezbollah strikes on Haifa and other town near the Israeli-Lebanese border. I personally believe that the show of force was excessive, but hindsight is always 20-20. Still, it must be stressed that the air strikes on Lebanon were not unprovoked, as Lebanon was being used as a launching pad for international terrorist groups. However, I do not claim to be an expert in these matters, so I will leave the real analysis to someone who is more knowledgable than me.
Also, to state that our "economy, schools, and health care are in shambles" because of war expenditures is questionable to say the least. Sure, gas prices could be lower, but the unemployment rate as of July 2007 is at 4.6%, a historically low rate, and interest and inflation is also low. The reason that schools and health care are in "shambles" is because both systems are marred by bureaucratic red tape and special interest groups that drive up costs and drive down performance (i.e. Teacher's Unions).
As I said, the topic to be discussed is legitimate, but making these kinds of claims does nothing for your argument.
Submitted by La Sandia on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 9:24am.
War stinks! Armed conflict is a shame! We must be a strong country but this kind of technology sure does bring home the responsability strength calls forward.
We need to pray that violence does not grow. We need to pray that just flexing our muscles becomes enough. We need to pray that madmen in the world decrease and good people start to take over and lead.
Lets get people to Church. The more people who go to church and then help those around them and in the community, the less likely war will be required. But, if it is required please give us the will and the power and the way to win and bring true justice to the conflict.
GK - God is good!
Submitted by gk on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 10:36am.
Why not put the blame where it really belongs, with the Palistinians. The Israilies are protecting themselves, something that we as Americans should be doing. In a war there is always collateral damage. this collateral damage is caused by the Palistinians themselves. So don't blame the Jews.
Submitted by LEOARCHIBEQUE on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 10:52am.
The problem is me! When every one of us, you and me, turn our hearts to GOD, stop offending him, pray and do penance, then and only then will He give us true peace. If you and I continue on the crazy course we are on, materialism, greed, selfishness, impurity in our lives by dress and actions, not keeping holy the Sabbath Day, in short offending God, then we will pay the price. Look how even the few who go Mass dress like prostitutes or the pagans. No thought of conversion. Yet we continue to worship ourselves at Mass as if that is what we are there for. We have music that leads us to believe we have arrived, we are already saints in Heaven. Yet we live like the pagans. It makes no sense. We had better repent and as the Pope said, do penance which is the obligation of all Christians. Otherwise God who is all just, will give us the penance in our lives. Ave Maria!
Submitted by TAD on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 11:55am.
God loves you .
I have to think that absent Israel, the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem and all their priests would long ago have been buried in some forlorn mass grave with other non-Islamic folks. To me, Father Vandewater's statements are too short-sighted for words.
Just like our forces in Iraq, Israel stands as a bulwark against further Islamic incursions in the west. If that costs some weaponry, so be it. The Israelis have had to fight wars - hardly negotiate at table - with Muslim forces out to eradiacte them. Negotiations, in fact, have only bought those Muslim forces more time to ready for more war. In this, I am reminded of WWII Japanese notions that submission and surrender were so dishonorable as to be treated with violent contempt. The Muslims, too, find my death at their hands suitably similar to my surrender into my fate at their hands. (And, yes, of folly on either of THEIR ideas!)
gk is right - war stinks. And, TAD is right that it is all MY fault - through my most grievous fault, as the Confiteor has it. But, war there is until all humanity prostrates in profound praise and humble worship before our one God. My beating on my chest in contrition isn't likely to bring on world peace except as I hold to my contrition while everyone else catches up.
I for one prefer to arm our allies. It costs me for my sins, and part of non-penitential payment thereof.
Remember, I love you, too
Reminding that we are all on the same side - His,
Pristinus Sapienter
(wljewell @catholicexchange.com or ... yahoo.com)
Submitted by wljewell on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 1:03pm.
I have two years experience living in the Holy Land and it is ever apparent that many American Catholics need to overcome some deep seated prejudices and misceptions concerning the Palestinians. One needs only an objective study of the history of the Holy Land to see who is the real victim and who is the aggressor there. Much of the West Bank and lands around Jerusalem have been forcibly taken by the Israelis. I have Palestinian friends whose homes have been bulldozed by Israeli soldiers. I have Palestinian friends who've had olive groves that have been in the family for hundreds of years destroyed in the night by the Israelis to make way for an illegal settlement. I've had other friends who were taken off the street with no charges and beaten in Israeli prisons. I would suggest that readers of CE begin by reaching out to Christian Palestinian Americans in their are and learning from them what life under Israeli occupation is really like. Until you see it or hear of it first hand, one has no idea of the brutality that our brothers and sisters in Christ suffer there on a day to day basis. Please include the Christians in the Holy Land in your daily prayers.
Submitted by home2rome on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 2:20pm.
home2rome, you are right on! Ask any Christian who actually lives in Israel or in the Palestinian territories what they think about the conflict, and you'll find that virtually all of them, from the Patriarch on down, have horror-stories to tell about Israel's treatment of both Christians and Muslims. Israel's acceptance of the notion that "the end justifies the means" leads them to violate any international law or human right that they wish to, all in the name of ostensibly "fighting terrorism." We Americans rightly spend long hours in discussions seeking to find the right balance between constitutional rights and the need to defend ourselves; Israel spends no time at all on this question.
Last summer, when Israel was cluster-bombing Lebanese civilians, a US journalist interviewed an Israeli who was decrying the attack on Israel. The journalist asked, "but what about the innocent Lebanese civilians, even children, who are dying from Israel's attacks?" The Israeli shouted in response: "I don't care!" That pretty much said it all.
Submitted by Clare with no i on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 2:35pm.
Aside from this particular conflict, look at the ethnic cleansing of Pakistan of all non muslims. That is typical behavior of conquering muslims....even in the modern era.
I am not an expert in this area of geopolitics, but I do read the news. Violence among muslims seems to be an epidemic worldwide....very often it's used against fellow muslims of different sects. I don't see an effective outcry from anybody! Shoot! It's Christians who have saved and protected presecuted muslims around the world.
As a former Marine, who has four sons, I eschew violence. I never want anyone's son lying face down in bloody mud! However, some poisons must be lanced and that hurts. Very often, detante follows the show/use of force!
Also, Ditto to GK and TAD and PS. (I know how wise you gentlemen are based on your previous posts.) And I'm sure Clare and home2rome are also correct. Power corrupts. And absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Nobody is immune!
Come HOly Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love.
Submitted by elkabrikir on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 4:59pm.
The comments are all over the board and quite numerous. This topic strikes a chord with all of us because of the endless conflict there which is religious, political and very costly economically and in innocent lives. I can't make any sense of it. I listen to people who are closer to what is a classic display of human nature at it's worst. I got pretty much the same information from two priests one a Roman Catholic and the other a Maronite Catholic. Both were in Israel and both felt that we were being played for suckers by a clever Israeli media campaign. On the other hand I don't want to come down on the side of Hillary and Kerry. One thing is clear, that I will be swimming in this sea of uncertainty for some time.
My own experince as a Christian...(well) follows: Two weeks ago I broke down in Jewish NYC, George Washington Bridge which even God avoids; was towed on a Sunday evening to a garage run by a Palestinian (my wife had the nerve to ask). The guy put me back on the road for $45. Unbelievable! Never does human nature soar higher than when I'm at the receiving end.
Submitted by goral on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 5:38pm.
"Jewish NYC" Wow goral-you have just lost all credibilty. Sorry to hear you say that about NYC-I geuss you would rather cast your lot with Jessie Jackson eh?
Submitted by awright on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 7:01pm.
What Fr. Vanderwater, petemmiller, and leoarchibeque fail to realize is that GOD put the Jews in Israel long before any of us came along to advise Him, and they remain HIS people. You wanna stand before God and tell Him He's wrong, you go right ahead.....just don't stand next to me when you do!
My suggestion is that you get your noses out of the newspapers and news magazines, and start reading Scripture.
You can argue the details from now till doomsday. I can give you the ultimate arguement-stopper: Where were YOU during the Six-Days War?
Submitted by Cooky642 on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 7:19pm.
My apologies to awright, I forgot about Chinatown and Little Italy. Cooky, the Scriptures are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. The Spiritual Jerusalem is Christ's body the Church. That modern day Israel is the fulfillment of Scripture is a Protestant interpretation. The Vatican doesn't see that. In fact they can't seem to get any kind of a productive relationship with Israel. The Christian sites of veneration are in disrepair because Israel will only let them be maintained just enough for the tourist trade. On the other hand if Israel wasn't there me thinks that the sole place of worship would be the dome of the rock. Y'all are cultivating your own interpretations, some of us like a better balance based on the facts and don't disregard the teaching of Spiritual Jerusalem.
Submitted by goral on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 8:56pm.
Cooky,
Your name says it all! No where in scripture does it say that 2000 years after the coming of Christ will Jews be allowed to unjustly slaughter innocent children for the sake of stealing the children's land. Yes, God gave them the Land in the old testament, but, if you haven't noticed (especially with the coming of Christ,) a lot has changed since then. Stop supporting terrorism, stop supporting Israel.
Submitted by petemmiller on Tue, 08/21/2007 - 9:24pm.
A conflict arises when two or more parties disagree.
If one side was 100% right, then the wrong side would be smashed from all sides for the sake of righteousness. This eventually happened with Hitler's Germany and Japan. Same goes for Stalin and Communistic Russia, eventually they were stopped.
I do not see any blaring signs that yell to me "Hey we are the good guys and our cause is the only true cause based on the value of human life." In fact it seems to be the opposite, in that each side reduces the other to sub human. This is not a case of 100% right or even 95% right or even 75% right. Both sides seem to have a 50% right, maybe 60% at best.
Why we are involved at all seems to be due to what goral said: "That modern day Israel is the fulfillment of Scripture is a Protestant interpretation." And that ainte worth my Catholic taxes. I'd rather support setting up a Counsil of Peace in the region. Inside that council would be considered a place where those who seek peace could go to meet the other side. They could discuss a peaceful resolution on our tax dollars for as long as needed. Because peace is not going to come by extremists' force unless we allow one side to blow the other side out of existence. And human life is worth more than peace at all costs.
Christ the Son of God allowed Himself to be smote so that we could find peace. There is no voodoo, such as Israel crushing Palastine out of existence, that is required to bring about Christ's kingdom. We must just individually love God and our neighbor. Aren't those Christs two commandments (Golden Rule)? Christ died once and for all. Could we please be Catholic about this and not raptured?
GK - God is good!
Submitted by gk on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 5:27am.
to petemmiller:
I think your response to "Cooky" was disrespectful and lacked charity.
I don't know if you intended to mock her name and then to associate it with her being a stupid "cupcake" whose thoughts are obviously worth dismissing, but that's how I took it.
Peace in the Holy Land? How about on CE.
PS I believe this is an extremely complex issue which has been created by a variety of factors over many centuries. (Even if we limit the discussion to the Otoman Empire forward.) Few have all the facts. And there's enough blame to go around in the middle east. Personal attacks, sarcasm, and stereotyping isn't productive. We're all trying to figure it our. No easy task, obviously!
Submitted by elkabrikir on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 6:28am.
Elk,
I should have been more polite, I apologize.
I did not intend to signify that she was stupid, just crazy. Someone who is crazy is one who is totally out of touch with reality. Cooky, seems like it could be pronounced "coo-kee" which is a common term for someone who is crazy. I wanted to signify that her opinion is entirely crazy (for nowhere in Scripture does it say that God gave the modern Jews modern Israel), for it is not based on reality. And yes, because of that, should not be taken seriously.
I repeat however, I apologize, and should have been more polite.
Submitted by petemmiller on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 7:58am.
Thanks Pete...
You're a good egg!
Submitted by elkabrikir on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 8:08am.
And so is Fr. Vanderwater and the rest of us who desperately want the region stabilized. We need to indulge each other on this passionate issue. Now on to Confideo tui omnipotens Deus....
Submitted by goral on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 8:31am.
It is complicated.
Submitted by Protect the Rock on Wed, 08/22/2007 - 4:10pm.
Christians were migrating from the Middle East long before the establishment of the modern nation of Israel. They left not only for economic reasons but also because they were tired of living like dhimmis (second-class citizens). There is plenty of material out there on the history of Middle-East Christians and Dhimmitude. Also, the last official census of Lebanon was in 1932, sixteen years before modern Israel's creation. In 1932, Christians were the majority in Lebanon. A higher birth rate among Muslims is just as much, if not a greater, factor in the declining percentage of Middle East Christians as migration. To blame Israel's existence for the outmigration of Christians from the Middle East is disingenous. God bless.
Submitted by cbalducc on Thu, 08/23/2007 - 1:15pm.
Goral: "Spiritual Jerusalem is the Body of Christ in the Church". I am disappointed in you. That is just more of the old, worn-out, displacement theology of the Martin Luther crowd. Bear in mind that Martin is the same guy who "discovered" that the Pope was the anti-Christ of Revelation. You don't want to be hanging around with that crowd.
I would rather not believe this article was written by a Catholic priest.
He claims that because of the cost of the Iraq war "our economy, schools, and health care system are in shambles". Is the good Father's parish on the plant Jupiter? Our economy is very, very strong. What employment numbers, inflation numbers, GDP numbers is he reading?
Our schools are in a shambles because Christian America kicked God out. Our health care system is in shambles because illegal immigrants are using the hospital emergency rooms as their own no-charge health care system. None of which has anything whatsover to do with the Israel.
One consistent characteristic of bigots, in and out of the clergy, is that they blame anything and everything on the object of their irrational hatred. I was very small when the Lindbergh baby was kidnapped, but I recall the radio broadcasts shouting - Lindy Baby Kidnapped by the Jews. Later, when it was learned that a German ex-soldier of WWI had actually kdinapped the baby, a new set of bigots took over and wanted to burn all the Germans.
The newspapers of the time blamed the Jews for the bombing of the Hindenburg Zeppelin at Lakehurst, N.J. It doesn't take a great deal for the bigots to find "uncontroversial documentation" of the guilt of the Jews - which usually means the guy at the next urinal thought it might be possible.
Submitted by dannycomelatley on Sat, 08/25/2007 - 7:42pm.
Our hearts go out to our Christian brethren in the Middle East. But be careful what you pray for. if you think Israel is so terrible to everyone, wait until there is no Israel. You think you have it rough now? You havent seen anything yet.
The constant drum roll against Israel by certain Christian groups is orchestrated propaganda by the terrorist groups.