President Joe Biden signs the guestbook, Thursday, July 14, 2022, at the President’s Residence in Jerusalem.
Even some Israel advocates support cuts, and their claims, as usual, have dominated the debate, as in this Nicholas Kristof column in the New York Times.
Israel is wealthy, so it doesn’t need the aid, and the money just creates “unhealthy” dependence, Israel advocates told Kristof.
“This is not about whacking Israel,” Kristof wrote.
Because cutting the aid will have no influence over Israel’s behavior, Kristof argued: “The reason to rethink American aid is not to seek leverage over Israel.”
Former ambassador Dan Kurtzer echoed that point: “Aid provides the U.S. with no leverage or influence over Israeli decisions to use force.”
Israel-loving Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres affirmed that the U.S. has never sought leverage over Israeli decisions and never will (in a piece at Tablet opposing aid cuts).
This is all self-serving b.s. The Israel lobby sees aid cuts on the horizon and is trying to get ahead of the discussion and spin cuts as just another phase of the “special relationship” between best friends.
In fact, reducing aid would have a huge impact. It would be a rebuke to Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. It would signal an end to the “special relationship” in which Israel is not treated like other countries. It would hasten Israel’s slide toward pariah nation status in the eyes of the world.
It would be whacking Israel.