28 apr 2020
Breaking Defense magazine reports that Israel may ask to get its yearly aid ahead of time, and possibly twice as much as usual… But 26 million Americans out of jobs and U.S. companies closing due to coronavirus might object… A petition proposes: ‘Israel has received over $10 million per day, year after year. This year it’s time to keep our money home.’
By Alison Weir – If Americans Knew
Breaking Defense, a digital magazine that covers military issues, reports that Israel may ask for its U.S. aid early, possibly in a lump sum that could be as high as $7.6 billion.
This would work out to almost $21 million per day from American taxpayers, even though the U.S. is approaching a $4 trillion deficit (the largest in the world), and Israel typically has a lower unemployment rate than the United States.
The report is by Breaking Defense Israel correspondent Arie Egozi, an Israeli citizen who served in the Israeli military and is close to the Israeli security establishment.
Egozi’s article states that because of the coronavirus pandemic, “Israel’s Ministry of Defense and high command have hammered out an emergency plan for an appeal to Washington.”
The article, which carries a Tel Aviv dateline, reports: “Sources here say the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing Israel to ask Washington to make major changes to the [aid] agreement, including a request to receive the annual allocation $3.8 billion earlier than planned.”
U.S. aid to Israel is normally disbursed in October, in a lump sum that is deposited to an interest-bearing Israeli account in the New York Federal Reserve Bank. (Since the U.S. has been operating at a deficit, this means that the U.S. government borrows the money and pays interest on it long after it has gone out.)
Potentially $14,000 per minute from American taxpayersIn addition to receiving the aid earlier than usual, a “senior source” quoted by Egozi suggests that Israel may request that the aid expected for 2024 also be disbursed this year.
If that happens, it would work out to nearly $21 million per day, or $14,460 per minute to Israel from American taxpayers suffering from a devastating hit to the U.S. economy.
Moreover, it is highly likely that when 2024 comes around, the advance would be forgiven, as have numerous U.S. “loans” to Israel, and Israel would get the aid again.
The current aid to Israel is based on a 2016 agreement by the Obama Administration to give Israel $3.8 billion annually for the next 10 years – a total of $38 billion, touted as the largest such aid package in U.S. history. Overall, Israel has received more U.S. aid than any other country, on average, 7,000 times more per capita than others.
While the Obama Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a non-binding agreement, Israel has received this sum every year since it was signed. Israel advocates in Congress are currently seeking to cement it into a law that would permit this amount to go even higher in the future.
A ‘wild idea’ that might not appeal to AmericansEgozi reports that the former president of Israel Aerospace Industries, Joseph Weiss, said asking for the money ahead of time is “a wild idea,” but said it “makes sense in the special conditions created [in Israel] by the pandemic.”
However, it’s unlikely that this would make equivalent sense to Americans, who have been at least as hard hit by the pandemic.
Over 26 million Americans so far have lost their jobs, and many U.S. companies are facing bankruptcy. A comment below Egozi’s article suggests how Americans would respond to a massive outlay to Israel this year:
“Why do Americans put up with all this money going to Israel when millions of them have no healthcare, no job, and are eating from food banks?”
To deflect such outrage, Israel partisans in the U.S. typically defend the aid by saying that it eventually goes to U.S. defense companies. However, they fail to mention that millions of the dollars go to Israeli companies that compete with American businesses, often leading to job losses in the U.S. No other country receiving U.S. military aid is allowed to do this.
In addition, many Americans feel that Israel should use its own money to purchase its weaponry, as the U.S. does. They point out that if Americans wished to subsidize weapons companies, the U.S. government could simply purchase items for American use.
Similarly, a growing number of Americans object to the uses Israel makes of U.S. weapons, regularly deploying them in violation of both international law and U.S. law (also this).
However, the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. is extremely influential in both political parties, and U.S. media rarely report on aid to Israel, so the lump sum could slip through without notice.
An administration official recently said that Israel would not need to worry about money “even if there is a depression.”
Petition by Council for the National InterestA critic of the aid, former CIA officer Philip Giraldi, points out that Israel is not an ally, and that it has often “done damage to the United States.” Giraldi, who is currently executive director of the Council for the National Interest (CNI), notes that Israel often spies on the U.S. and has stolen American technology. It also tried to sink a U.S. Navy ship, killing 34 Americans and injuring over 170.
Giraldi is asking people to sign a petition by CNI: “Stop the $3.8 Billion to Israel.”
The petition states: “…We need to take care of Americans and not send our tax money to a wealthy foreign country. Israel has already received billions of dollars from American taxpayers. It has received over $10 million per day, year after year. This year it’s time to keep our money home.”
Alison Weir is executive director of If Americans Knew, president of the Council for the National Interest, and author of Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.
By Alison Weir – If Americans Knew
Breaking Defense, a digital magazine that covers military issues, reports that Israel may ask for its U.S. aid early, possibly in a lump sum that could be as high as $7.6 billion.
This would work out to almost $21 million per day from American taxpayers, even though the U.S. is approaching a $4 trillion deficit (the largest in the world), and Israel typically has a lower unemployment rate than the United States.
The report is by Breaking Defense Israel correspondent Arie Egozi, an Israeli citizen who served in the Israeli military and is close to the Israeli security establishment.
Egozi’s article states that because of the coronavirus pandemic, “Israel’s Ministry of Defense and high command have hammered out an emergency plan for an appeal to Washington.”
The article, which carries a Tel Aviv dateline, reports: “Sources here say the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing Israel to ask Washington to make major changes to the [aid] agreement, including a request to receive the annual allocation $3.8 billion earlier than planned.”
U.S. aid to Israel is normally disbursed in October, in a lump sum that is deposited to an interest-bearing Israeli account in the New York Federal Reserve Bank. (Since the U.S. has been operating at a deficit, this means that the U.S. government borrows the money and pays interest on it long after it has gone out.)
Potentially $14,000 per minute from American taxpayersIn addition to receiving the aid earlier than usual, a “senior source” quoted by Egozi suggests that Israel may request that the aid expected for 2024 also be disbursed this year.
If that happens, it would work out to nearly $21 million per day, or $14,460 per minute to Israel from American taxpayers suffering from a devastating hit to the U.S. economy.
Moreover, it is highly likely that when 2024 comes around, the advance would be forgiven, as have numerous U.S. “loans” to Israel, and Israel would get the aid again.
The current aid to Israel is based on a 2016 agreement by the Obama Administration to give Israel $3.8 billion annually for the next 10 years – a total of $38 billion, touted as the largest such aid package in U.S. history. Overall, Israel has received more U.S. aid than any other country, on average, 7,000 times more per capita than others.
While the Obama Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a non-binding agreement, Israel has received this sum every year since it was signed. Israel advocates in Congress are currently seeking to cement it into a law that would permit this amount to go even higher in the future.
A ‘wild idea’ that might not appeal to AmericansEgozi reports that the former president of Israel Aerospace Industries, Joseph Weiss, said asking for the money ahead of time is “a wild idea,” but said it “makes sense in the special conditions created [in Israel] by the pandemic.”
However, it’s unlikely that this would make equivalent sense to Americans, who have been at least as hard hit by the pandemic.
Over 26 million Americans so far have lost their jobs, and many U.S. companies are facing bankruptcy. A comment below Egozi’s article suggests how Americans would respond to a massive outlay to Israel this year:
“Why do Americans put up with all this money going to Israel when millions of them have no healthcare, no job, and are eating from food banks?”
To deflect such outrage, Israel partisans in the U.S. typically defend the aid by saying that it eventually goes to U.S. defense companies. However, they fail to mention that millions of the dollars go to Israeli companies that compete with American businesses, often leading to job losses in the U.S. No other country receiving U.S. military aid is allowed to do this.
In addition, many Americans feel that Israel should use its own money to purchase its weaponry, as the U.S. does. They point out that if Americans wished to subsidize weapons companies, the U.S. government could simply purchase items for American use.
Similarly, a growing number of Americans object to the uses Israel makes of U.S. weapons, regularly deploying them in violation of both international law and U.S. law (also this).
However, the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S. is extremely influential in both political parties, and U.S. media rarely report on aid to Israel, so the lump sum could slip through without notice.
An administration official recently said that Israel would not need to worry about money “even if there is a depression.”
Petition by Council for the National InterestA critic of the aid, former CIA officer Philip Giraldi, points out that Israel is not an ally, and that it has often “done damage to the United States.” Giraldi, who is currently executive director of the Council for the National Interest (CNI), notes that Israel often spies on the U.S. and has stolen American technology. It also tried to sink a U.S. Navy ship, killing 34 Americans and injuring over 170.
Giraldi is asking people to sign a petition by CNI: “Stop the $3.8 Billion to Israel.”
The petition states: “…We need to take care of Americans and not send our tax money to a wealthy foreign country. Israel has already received billions of dollars from American taxpayers. It has received over $10 million per day, year after year. This year it’s time to keep our money home.”
Alison Weir is executive director of If Americans Knew, president of the Council for the National Interest, and author of Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Was Used to Create Israel.
As of Tuesday evening, there are 15,728 confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel, while 210 patients have succumbed from the virus.
Of the latest number, 116 people are in serious condition, a drop of 8% over the past 24 hours, with 92 patients needing ventilator support, a drop of 5%.
Israel's coronavirus death toll up to 208, with 15,589 confirmed cases
Coronavirus has claimed 208 lives in Israel so far and 117 people are currently seriously ill with COVID-19, the Health Ministry said Tuesday morning.
There are 15,589 confirmed cases of the virus in Israel and 94 patients are presently on a ventilator.
A total of 354 people are currently being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, 5,025 are being treated at home and 1,726 are in specially designated hotels. Another 901 people are waiting to be informed whether they require hospitalization.
Although the number of coronavirus patients continues to rise, it seems the rate of infections is decreasing steadily - prompting the Health Ministry to mull the closure of specialized coronavirus wards across the country.
Israel has been slowly but steadily lifting restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus as the number of recoveries continues to outpace the number of new infections.
Of the latest number, 116 people are in serious condition, a drop of 8% over the past 24 hours, with 92 patients needing ventilator support, a drop of 5%.
Israel's coronavirus death toll up to 208, with 15,589 confirmed cases
Coronavirus has claimed 208 lives in Israel so far and 117 people are currently seriously ill with COVID-19, the Health Ministry said Tuesday morning.
There are 15,589 confirmed cases of the virus in Israel and 94 patients are presently on a ventilator.
A total of 354 people are currently being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, 5,025 are being treated at home and 1,726 are in specially designated hotels. Another 901 people are waiting to be informed whether they require hospitalization.
Although the number of coronavirus patients continues to rise, it seems the rate of infections is decreasing steadily - prompting the Health Ministry to mull the closure of specialized coronavirus wards across the country.
Israel has been slowly but steadily lifting restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus as the number of recoveries continues to outpace the number of new infections.
27 apr 2020
Coronavirus has claimed 204 lives in Israel so far and 126 people are currently seriously ill with COVID-19, the Health Ministry said Monday night.
There are 15,555 confirmed cases of the virus in Israel and 96 patients are presently on a ventilator.
There have been 112 new cases in the past 24 hours while 469 people have recovered from the disease. In all, 7,200 people have recovered from the disease in Israel.
A total of 362 people are currently being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, 5,190 are being treated at home and 1,756 are in specially designated hotels. Another 843 people are waiting to be informed whether they require hospitalization.
Although the number of coronavirus patients continues to rise, it seems the rate of of infections is decreasing steadily - prompting the Health Ministry to mull the closure of specialized coronavirus wards across the country.
Israel has been slowly but steadily lifting restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus as the number of recoveries continues to outpace the number of new infections.
On Sunday, the Health Ministry presented its outline for the return to normal operations in hospitals.
According to the guidelines, staff will work in permanent shifts, clinics belonging to HMOs will reopen for elective surgeries.
The government also decided Monday to partially restart the education system from Sunday, after a month and a half of forced enclosures due to the pandemic.
Furthermore, in line with recommendations from the Ministry of Intelligence Services, Israel is on track to reopen its malls under certain restrictions.
A ministry study predicts just a 1.5-5% rise in infections from mall reopenings, with new cases unlikely to cause serious illness as most visitors are unlikely to belong to a high-risk group.
The report was drafted in preparation for a hearing Monday at the National Economic Council regarding the opening of malls in the next round of steps to ease regulations, which is expected to take place on May 3.
Israel's coronavirus death toll up to 202, with 15,466 confirmed cases
The coronavirus pandemic has now claimed 202 lives in Israel, with 15,466 confirmed cases, health officials confirmed on Monday morning.
Among the latest fatalities is a 65-year-old Susie Levy who passed away at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, just outside Tel Aviv. He 71-year-old sister died from coronavirus-related complications only two weeks ago at at Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias.
There are 15,555 confirmed cases of the virus in Israel and 96 patients are presently on a ventilator.
There have been 112 new cases in the past 24 hours while 469 people have recovered from the disease. In all, 7,200 people have recovered from the disease in Israel.
A total of 362 people are currently being treated in hospitals for COVID-19, 5,190 are being treated at home and 1,756 are in specially designated hotels. Another 843 people are waiting to be informed whether they require hospitalization.
Although the number of coronavirus patients continues to rise, it seems the rate of of infections is decreasing steadily - prompting the Health Ministry to mull the closure of specialized coronavirus wards across the country.
Israel has been slowly but steadily lifting restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus as the number of recoveries continues to outpace the number of new infections.
On Sunday, the Health Ministry presented its outline for the return to normal operations in hospitals.
According to the guidelines, staff will work in permanent shifts, clinics belonging to HMOs will reopen for elective surgeries.
The government also decided Monday to partially restart the education system from Sunday, after a month and a half of forced enclosures due to the pandemic.
Furthermore, in line with recommendations from the Ministry of Intelligence Services, Israel is on track to reopen its malls under certain restrictions.
A ministry study predicts just a 1.5-5% rise in infections from mall reopenings, with new cases unlikely to cause serious illness as most visitors are unlikely to belong to a high-risk group.
The report was drafted in preparation for a hearing Monday at the National Economic Council regarding the opening of malls in the next round of steps to ease regulations, which is expected to take place on May 3.
Israel's coronavirus death toll up to 202, with 15,466 confirmed cases
The coronavirus pandemic has now claimed 202 lives in Israel, with 15,466 confirmed cases, health officials confirmed on Monday morning.
Among the latest fatalities is a 65-year-old Susie Levy who passed away at the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, just outside Tel Aviv. He 71-year-old sister died from coronavirus-related complications only two weeks ago at at Baruch Padeh Medical Center in Tiberias.
26 apr 2020
The condition of an 11-year-old COVID-19 patient has deteriorated, leaving her in serious condition in an induced coma and on a ventilator.
The deterioration means that the girl is now the country's youngest coronavirus sufferer in serious condition.
The girl had been staying with her family at a hotel in Tiberias designated for coronavirus patients, and was hospitalized Friday at the city's Poriya Hospital with constant vomiting, high fever and lack of appetite.
On Saturday, the girl's condition deteriorated further and her doctors began to fear that she had inflammation around her heart (pericarditis).
She suffered another downturn during, prompting the medical team to sedate her and put her on a ventilator before transferring her to Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa.
Dr. Amir Hadash, a senior doctor at Rambam's pediatric intensive care unit, said: "We admitted an 11-year-old girl from the center of the country without background illnesses who was transferred to us from Poriya Hospital where she arrived with abdominal pain after a few weeks of illness.
"Her condition deteriorated while she was there, with the main problem being inflammation around the heart. She was intubated, given blood pressure support and transferred to us. At the moment, she seems to be in stable condition."
More than 270 COVID-19 patients have been diagnosed in the settlement of Beitar Illit, including 69 people who have already recovered.
Over the past three days, 15 additional patients were diagnosed in the settlement.
Beitar Illit was for a time among the communities considered for full lockdown due to relatively high mortality rates there, though no such a move was ultimately implemented.
Still, the fight against the spread of the virus continues, with 24 checkpoints deployed Sunday morning in several neighborhoods in Netivot. The government decided to designate the neighborhoods as "restricted areas" after 89 people were diagnosed as carriers of the coronavirus in the city.
The closure in the city is expected to last until 6am Friday. During this time residents will not be able to leave the restricted neighborhoods except for medical emergencies or to go to a workplace deemed essential by the state.
As of Sunday evening, the number of coronavirus patients in Israel stood at 15,443 with 201 deaths from complications related to the virus.
The deterioration means that the girl is now the country's youngest coronavirus sufferer in serious condition.
The girl had been staying with her family at a hotel in Tiberias designated for coronavirus patients, and was hospitalized Friday at the city's Poriya Hospital with constant vomiting, high fever and lack of appetite.
On Saturday, the girl's condition deteriorated further and her doctors began to fear that she had inflammation around her heart (pericarditis).
She suffered another downturn during, prompting the medical team to sedate her and put her on a ventilator before transferring her to Rambam Healthcare Campus in Haifa.
Dr. Amir Hadash, a senior doctor at Rambam's pediatric intensive care unit, said: "We admitted an 11-year-old girl from the center of the country without background illnesses who was transferred to us from Poriya Hospital where she arrived with abdominal pain after a few weeks of illness.
"Her condition deteriorated while she was there, with the main problem being inflammation around the heart. She was intubated, given blood pressure support and transferred to us. At the moment, she seems to be in stable condition."
More than 270 COVID-19 patients have been diagnosed in the settlement of Beitar Illit, including 69 people who have already recovered.
Over the past three days, 15 additional patients were diagnosed in the settlement.
Beitar Illit was for a time among the communities considered for full lockdown due to relatively high mortality rates there, though no such a move was ultimately implemented.
Still, the fight against the spread of the virus continues, with 24 checkpoints deployed Sunday morning in several neighborhoods in Netivot. The government decided to designate the neighborhoods as "restricted areas" after 89 people were diagnosed as carriers of the coronavirus in the city.
The closure in the city is expected to last until 6am Friday. During this time residents will not be able to leave the restricted neighborhoods except for medical emergencies or to go to a workplace deemed essential by the state.
As of Sunday evening, the number of coronavirus patients in Israel stood at 15,443 with 201 deaths from complications related to the virus.
The coronavirus pandemic has now claimed 201 lives in Israel, the Health Ministry said Sunday night.
A total of 15,443 people are confirmed to have been infected, with 133 people in serious condition, including 99 patients on ventilators.
Israel's coronavirus cases up to 15,398, with death toll still at 199
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel now stands at 15,398, health officials said Sunday morning. The number of people who have died from complications related to the virus has not changed since Saturday and still stands at 199.
Of the latest number, 132 patients are in serious condition, a rise of 2% in the past 24 hours, including 100 in need of ventilator support, a decrease of 2% in the past 24 hours. At least 93 patients are in moderate condition. Some 8,372 patients have mild symptoms.
The number of Israelis who have recovered from the virus now stands at least 6,602. The number of recoveries has now exceeded the number of new diagnoses for the tenth day in a row.
There are currently 403 coronavirus patients receiving treatment in hospitals while 5,629 people are fighting the virus at home.
Another 1,737 people are currently receiving treatment in specially designated hotels and 828 are awaiting a decision on whether they will be treated.
A total of 15,443 people are confirmed to have been infected, with 133 people in serious condition, including 99 patients on ventilators.
Israel's coronavirus cases up to 15,398, with death toll still at 199
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Israel now stands at 15,398, health officials said Sunday morning. The number of people who have died from complications related to the virus has not changed since Saturday and still stands at 199.
Of the latest number, 132 patients are in serious condition, a rise of 2% in the past 24 hours, including 100 in need of ventilator support, a decrease of 2% in the past 24 hours. At least 93 patients are in moderate condition. Some 8,372 patients have mild symptoms.
The number of Israelis who have recovered from the virus now stands at least 6,602. The number of recoveries has now exceeded the number of new diagnoses for the tenth day in a row.
There are currently 403 coronavirus patients receiving treatment in hospitals while 5,629 people are fighting the virus at home.
Another 1,737 people are currently receiving treatment in specially designated hotels and 828 are awaiting a decision on whether they will be treated.
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