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**tgs** · 04-29-2008, 11:49 PM

Israel's GDP is approximately USD$185 billion (FY2007). It exports more than USB 8 billion back the US. The EU is a larger import/export partner than is the US. So to say that the nation is not economically self sufficient is not in the ballpark.

What do you get for it? Well what do you get for any foreign aid? What do you get for the 2 billion in direct military aid to Egypt or the 8 billion dollar cost to station a military contingent in South Korea or the 18 billion dollar contingent in Germany, or the cost of stationing American troops in Japan which has 5x the defense budget of Israel and no one is even shooting at them?

You also get Israeli defense avionics, UAVs, AT missiles, smart bombs used in today's US arsenal. Also every US dollar spent on military aid to Israel is spent in the United States with US companies employing US workers. You also get tactical training for urban warfare and counter terrorism.

Now strategically you get a political ally in the only socially stable friendly country in the region. Otherwise the EU wouldn't open the kimono and allow Israel into the EU neighbourhood program if it didn't meet some standard of modernity and stability and strategic location and economic viability.

04-29-2008, 11:49 PM	#6
tgs Join Date Mar 2007 Age 48 Posts 5,125 Senior Member	Israel's GDP is approximately USD$185 billion (FY2007). It exports more than USB 8 billion back the US. The EU is a larger import/export partner than is the US. So to say that the nation is not economically self sufficient is not in the ballpark. What do you get for it? Well what do you get for any foreign aid? What do you get for the 2 billion in direct military aid to Egypt or the 8 billion dollar cost to station a military contingent in South Korea or the 18 billion dollar contingent in Germany, or the cost of stationing American troops in Japan which has 5x the defense budget of Israel and no one is even shooting at them? You also get Israeli defense avionics, UAVs, AT missiles, smart bombs used in today's US arsenal. Also every US dollar spent on military aid to Israel is spent in the United States with US companies employing US workers. You also get tactical training for urban warfare and counter terrorism. Now strategically you get a political ally in the only socially stable friendly country in the region. Otherwise the EU wouldn't open the kimono and allow Israel into the EU neighbourhood program if it didn't meet some standard of modernity and stability and strategic location and economic viability.
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