Israel's Best Friend

That would be us, as in US. Israel would have a far tougher time throwing its weight around without Uncle Sugar. Now it turns out we're doing a lot more than the known $3.5 billion we subsidize their relentless oppression of the Palestinian people. Yet more revelations from the Snowden papers have made clear the extent of our complicity with the Middle East's longest-standing mess.

The U.S. government has long lavished overwhelming aid on Israel, providing cash, weapons and surveillance technology that play a crucial role in Israel’s attacks on its neighbors. But top secret documents provided by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden shed substantial new light on how the U.S. and its partners directly enable Israel’s military assaults – such as the one on Gaza.

Over the last decade, the NSA has significantly increased the surveillance assistance it provides to its Israeli counterpart, the Israeli SIGINT National Unit (ISNU; also known as Unit 8200), including data used to monitor and target Palestinians. In many cases, the NSA and ISNU work cooperatively with the British and Canadian spy agencies, the GCHQ and CSEC.

The relationship has, on at least one occasion, entailed the covert payment of a large amount of cash to Israeli operatives. Beyond their own surveillance programs, the American and British surveillance agencies rely on U.S.-supported Arab regimes, including the Jordanian monarchy and even the Palestinian Authority Security Forces, to provide vital spying services regarding Palestinian targets.

The new documents underscore the indispensable, direct involvement of the U.S. government and its key allies in Israeli aggression against its neighbors. That covert support is squarely at odds with the posture of helpless detachment typically adopted by Obama officials and their supporters.  Source

 I cannot help but think that if the American people really understood the ramifications of the day-to-day skullduggery, crime, and mayhem their tax dollars are paying for, they would rise up in righteous indignation.

But remember, I am unfortunately afflicted with flights of fantasy.