US President Donald Trump has said his country could halt financial support for Israel.
He said the United States spends a great deal of money on Israel. Trump noted that Israel is a wealthy country and that the funds sent there could be directed toward the social welfare of US citizens.
Does this decision by Trump mean the weakening of the US strategic partnership with Israel, or a transition in relations to a new stage? How could a reduction in Washington’s long-standing military and financial support for Tel Aviv affect the balance of forces in the region?
Political analyst Murad Sadaddinov, speaking to Globalinfo.az, said Trump voiced these views during the election period:
“The aim was to send a message to certain groups of voters. I believe that the issue of US assistance to Israel is not covered correctly in the press and its essence is not fully explained.
This is not about the direct transfer of financial funds from the US to Israel. This assistance is directed toward financing military projects that the US has designated for Israel. Those funds remain in the US.
If Israel orders any weapons or ammunition, the funds earmarked for that are allocated. That is, the money physically remains in the US and is paid to companies and their employees.
In general, even larger projects are being implemented between the US and Israel. There are various projects worth more than 20 billion dollars related to military, artificial intelligence and other digital technologies. In these projects Israel does not act as a party dependent on the US. On the contrary, both countries participate as equal partners. Moreover, the income the US derives from this cooperation is greater than the assistance provided.
Murad Sadaddinov
In fact, the Israeli side is not concerned by this issue either. On the contrary, Tel Aviv has expressed support for this position. They do not want to remain in a position of dependence on the US in any form. Thus, they seek to gain greater independence and profit.
For example, when Israel at one time wanted to carry out certain military operations in Lebanon and Gaza, some politicians in the US warned Tel Aviv and tried to prevent these steps. However, it is assumed that such interventions will not be as frequent as before.
Thus, Israel will seek to eliminate its political dependence on the US. I believe this is in line with Israel’s interests.”
Turan Rzayev
Globalinfo.az
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