U.S. Senate Sets $225 Million for Israel's Iron Dome in Emergency Bill

[n2doc]

Source: NYT/Reuters

U.S. Senate Democrats included $225 million for Israel's Iron Dome rocket interception system in an emergency funding bill on Tuesday that also cut $1 billion from President Barack Obama's request for $3.7 billion to deal with thousands of undocumented child immigrants.

"Israel is an essential American ally and needs these assets to defend itself," said Maryland Democratic Senator Barbara Mikulski, chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, in a statement.

More than 600 people - most of them Palestinians - have been killed in the current conflict between Israel and militants in Gaza. On Tuesday, Israel pounded targets across the Gaza Strip, saying no ceasefire was near.

Israel said the Iron Dome has intercepted about a fifth of more than 2,000 rockets militants have fired at Israel during the current conflict.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2014/07/22/us/politics/22reuters-palestinians-israel-irondome-congress.html?_r=0

[djean111]

1. This is why voting seems pointless, some days.

[postulater]

2. Not sure what my vital interest is in that country.

I'd prefer the money stays closer to home.

[gussmith]

3. Contracts (treaties) need due dates and reaassessment

[2banon]

4. wtf?

un.freaking.believable. don't just luv how our tax dollars go to fund monstrosities like the IDF?

[Iamthetruth]

14. So you would rather

those rockets that hamas cowardly fires indiscriminately into civilian population land on them and kill them?

[starroute]

19. If 80% of the rockets are getting through and only two Israeli civilians have died ...

... it doesn't seem as though we'd be getting much for the money. $225 million to possibly save one more life? I could think of a lot better ways to spend it.

[former9thward]

58. The Iron Dome does not shoot down rockets

which are going to land in some uninhabited area. They only shoot down ones heading towards an inhabited area. So, yes, 80% "are getting through" but that is because the Iron Dome lets them.

[candelista]

66. So ALL 80% of the rockets landed in uninhabited areas?

Do you have a reference for this?

[former9thward]

68. No, not ALL of the rockets land in uninhabited areas.

Something I DID NOT say. Most of them do. It is not 100% when aiming at rockets which are determined that they are going to land in an inhabited area.

It has been activated to intercept about 27 percent of the approximately 180 rockets fired between Monday night and midday Wednesday. Of the times when Iron Dome was activated, it successfully intercepted the rockets nearly 90 percent of the time, and there have been few rocket hits or serious injuries.


http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.604039

[candelista]

69. There's something wrong with your logic.

You said if an area is not inhabited, the rockets aren't shot down. By contraposition, that means that if a rocket is shot down, then the area is inhabited.

[former9thward]

71. Exactly what I said.

Nothing wrong with that logic. Not all rockets headed for an inhabited area are shot down. The Iron Dome is not perfect.

[morningfog]

26. I'd rather not fund Israel's war crimes.

I'd rather the US not be in the arms business. Id rather the US devote its resources to humanitarian aid and non-violent conflict resolution.

[2banon]

34. Hear, Here!

[Iamthetruth]

60. Is it a war crime to defend oneself?

Do you really believe Israel would be invading if there not being fired upon?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

62. no, but that lame argument has been put to pasture many days ago.

In fact, that argument is a lie.

Israel manufactured the local outrage, stoked it, and used that anger as a shield while it killed in cold blood hundreds, including children.

[2banon]

35. The question is: Why the fuck do we continue to pay for

their arms of death and destruction when they've already armed to the teeth and more than capable of paying for it themselves.

[Aerows]

53. And yet we can't even get decent funding

to fix our decaying infrastructure! They are more than capable of paying for it themselves, we have things here at home that need to be addressed.

[2banon]

55. I just learned that Israel receives Military Arms from all over the World and Funded by the EU

in addition to the Billions of dollars from the United States. As I stated in that thread, we are led to believe that the United States is their only Friend against the World who hates them.

Fucking amazing. Check this out: http://www.humaniteinenglish.com/spip.php?article2505

Here's the thread where it was posted: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10245650#post1

[Aerows]

63. It makes me ill

that we fund slaughter abroad, while ignoring our own suffering population. If that statement makes someone mad, so be it. It's madness to ignore our own country.

[mikeysnot]

5. And they hate us because

of our freedoms?

[Warpy]

6. It's time to wean Bibi off the US taxpayer tit

and it's time to start to focus on the very real problems here.

This is not the way to do it.

[bigwillq]

7. Yuck

Way too much money, imo.

[Xipe Totec]

8. Any money allocated for the Palestinian carboard dome? nt

[GoneFishin]

10. They would get the pallets that the israeli cash was shipped on but construction

materials are blockaded and not allowed into Gaza prison. They will have to make their dome out of hope and change.

[Iamthetruth]

15. Nope

Those materials are used to build their tunnels and bunkers. Now if only they used them for the innocent civilian population in Gaza but we all know that hamas only uses them as pawns.

[GoneFishin]

65. Bullshit. The flotillas that were turned away using fatal military force had all civil supplies

on them. That tired bullshit line about this being self-defense is a crock of shit, and anybody who pays attention to how many civilians are being murdered and how many innocents' homes are being bulldozed to make way for settlements with plushly landscaped lawns, knows this is about land theft, and a slow, systematic draining of the Palestinians will, until one day they are so weak that they can be squeegeed off the land entirely like bugs on a windshield.

[Fozzledick]

25. They don't seem to have any shortage of human shields to sacrifice for propaganda photos.

[Xipe Totec]

36. Is that what we call children playing in the beach now?

[dembotoz]

37. [phone]

[DeSwiss]

9. I'm an American......

...Israel is not ''my ally.''

- Nor are any of the other baby murderers who are currently posing as leaders today - my ally.

Damn 'em all to hell.

[L0oniX]

44. At least we keep kids in dog pound cages ...while they wait ...forever.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

11. So basically, we're footing the bill for Iron Dome.

I had some erroneously low info on how much each Iron Dome missile cost, but according to the Economist, each 'interception' runs to $60k, so with 1/5th of 2k missiles requiring interception, that's 24 million spent so far on Iron Dome in the latest go round. At that rate, the $225 million will pay for 3750 interceptions, which if they keep on track at only 1 in 5 rockets requiring interceptions, would allow Hamas to fire close to 19000 rockets without Israel spending a penny on Iron Dome, all of the tab being picked up by US taxpayers.

[arcane1]

28. At this point, it's highly profitable to continue to build and maintain Iron Dome

That money is going to businesses whose existence relies on Hamas rockets, or at least the fear of them. Money from our own pockets.

[candelista]

67. It's just another subsidy for the "defense" business.

[geek tragedy]

12. good thing we don't need that money for our own infrastructure. nt

[L0oniX]

43. ...or those children in cages down at the boarder.

[Owl]

13. Crap

[Swede Atlanta]

16. Do you know the quickest way to peace between Israel and the Palestinians?

Eliminate all foreign aid to both sides. That includes any form of military or economic aid, no more intelligence sharing, no more joint military exercises, nothing.

Recall our ambassador and have our allies do the same.

Israel will collapse within months because it depends on U.S. foreign aid. Once they see they are vulnerable they will humbly come to the bargaining table and negotiate for what they can get without having Uncle Sugar (aka their "bitch&quot at their side.

It is the only way forward. The Israelis have to realize they are not invincible without U.S. aid and once that shield is gone they will come to their senses. It may take some time but they will come to their senses.

I am firmly opposed to any votes for any more money for Israel. Many of those in Congress voting do so out of their personal religious belief that only when Israel has re-built the temple will Jesus return. Even as a Christian I think that is bull roar. Jesus doesn't need a building that he quite honestly didn't have much time for in his own time to be motivated to return. He will do so on his own terms.

[Iamthetruth]

17. Seriously

You think the loss of $3 billion collapses an economy with a GDP of $250 billion? What happens without the iron dome is a lot of Israeli civilians would die and would give Israel a legitimate excuse to run through Gaza without regard for anything.

[Adrahil]

22. Then why don't THEY pay for it? NT

Last edited Wed Jul 23, 2014, 09:20 AM - Edit history (1)

[BronxBoy]

24. Exactly.....

Pensioners in Detroit are having their water shut off and they ain't getting a dime of federal money

[hack89]

45. It was part of the Camp David accords

same reason we give Egypt a lot of military aid. Israel and Egypt making peace was a huge game changer in the ME.

[morningfog]

27. At least you acknowledge their run through Gaza now is not

legitimate.

[gussmith]

21. Speak Up

Yes, the only way to train these children.

[arcane1]

18. The short version: another giant load of tax dollars headed for the pockets of defense contractors.

Nothing better for business than war and fear.

[starroute]

23. Excellent point -- you got me to track down this article

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-05-27/israel-agrees-to-spend-half-of-iron-dome-funds-in-u-s-.html

May 28, 2014

The Israeli government has agreed to spend more than half the funds the Pentagon provides for its Iron Dome system in the U.S., bolstering the political appeal of the missile-defense system in America.

Funds going to U.S. contractors for components of the Israeli-built, Pentagon-funded system will jump to 30 percent this year and 55 percent next year from 3 percent previously, according to a U.S. Missile Defense Agency report to Congress obtained by Bloomberg News. That amounts to at least $97 million of $176 million requested by the Defense Department for the coming fiscal year. ...

Raytheon Co. (RTN), based in Waltham, Massachusetts, is under contract with Iron Dome’s Israeli maker, Haifa-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., to find suitable U.S. suppliers, the Missile Defense Agency said in the report. Raytheon is the fourth-largest federal contractor and the world’s biggest missile maker. ...

“Given the significant U.S. taxpayer investment in this system, the committee believes that co-production of parts and components should be done in a manner that will maximize U.S. industry participation,” the House Armed Services Committee said in its report on the defense authorization measure for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

[arcane1]

29. Thank you for the link! It's even worse than I thought.

I'm becoming increasingly convinced that in the 21st century nothing happens, bad or good, without greed behind it :/

[arcane1]

31. You should make this an OP!

[L0oniX]

42. Raytheon stocks are looking good ...and that's the bottom line.

[Adrahil]

20. Why are we paying for Israel's defense?

I don't get it. Why is it our responsibility to cover their bills?

[L0oniX]

41. It's called a subsidy.

[hack89]

46. Because of the Camp David accords

same reason we give a lot of military aid to Egypt. The principle was that the US would ensure a military balance of power so neither side would feel threatened by the other.

[Adrahil]

47. Time to stop that nonsense

At the least, Iron Dome doesn't have anything to do with Egypt.

[hack89]

48. Sure, if you think countries can just rip up international peace treaties when they feel like it. nt

[Adrahil]

50. I'm not suggesting that.

But I don't see Egypt and Israel going to war anytime soon. It's time Israel stands on its own.

[hack89]

51. So get all three parties to renegotiate the treaty. nt

[postulater]

30. Maybe Israel will send Detroit some water in return.

[L0oniX]

40. +1

[AngryDem001]

32. Ummmm.....

How does this help fix our bridges and roads? How does this help keep jobs in the US? How does this help people who are still without healthcare?

How about an "emergency bill" for those things?

How does this help US? How does this help people in OUR OWN COUNTRY?????

[Baclava]

33. Seems fair - we are giving Hamas $50 million to buy more rockets

woo-wee...... a perpetual motion war machine

[sinkingfeeling]

38. We can see what's really important by this vote. Millions for defense of a

country that has done horrible things and cuts to help innocent children.

[L0oniX]

39. When its children at the boarder $0. When its military ...$225 million. Says it all.

[lovuian]

49. Does the USA have a Iron Dome

where's ours?

The Congress has to come to grips with the US can't be the World Policeman for the Corporations unless the
Corporations pay more taxes

[EX500rider]

70. "Does the USA have a Iron Dome?"

Yes. it's called the Missile Defense Agency.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_Defense_Agency

[ladjf]

52. Terrible idea! nt

[harun]

54. Doesn't look deficit neutral to me.

[E-Z-B]

56. I can't believe the responses in this thread. The Iron Dome SAVES LIVES by intercepting rockets!

With over 2,000 rockets being fired at Israel since July 8th, the posters here sound pissed that the body count isn't high enough. Unbelievable.

[The Stranger]

57. People in the U.S. are starving, without health care, homeless, hopeless, and a quarter of a billion

is going thousands of miles away to Netanyahu's war crimes and Netanyahu's atrocities?

Come on.

[Ash_F]

59. And it only took them....what....30 years to fund he VA?

[tabasco]

61. I'm so fucking sick of our tax dollars being sent overseas

when we desperately need that money here.

[amandabeech]

64. Maybe Mayor Bloomberg can fund it. He few to Israel today on El Al.

That is once he gets off Wolf Blitzer's show on CNN.