This is the answer America receives in return for half a century of financial aid* to the state of Israel: We will never go back! Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made crystal clear Israel never intends to give up the territory it conquered in the 1967 war Specifically it will never agree to give up the West Bank and East Jerusalem areas that it is colonizing as fast as it can build settlements under cover of a sham peace negotiation with the Palestinians. Israel recently gave approval for 1500 new buildings for settlers in the occupied West Bank. About 500,000 Israelis live on occupied territory that have become suburbs of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. In 2001 a more liberal Israeli government tentatively agreed to return some occupied land while retaining 80% of its settlements outside the 1949 armistice line. Israel has drifted steadily to the right since then. Netanyahu accused Obama of suffering from "illusions" during his visit, and
US Person agrees. But the only illusion is that the United States has any remaining influence over its client. The time for ending aid to Israel has come. If its leaders what to go it alone, American leaders should take our money off the table and wish them luck. Obama was out maneuvered by the clever Jewish Prime Minister who received
good press at home stating the obvious. If an Arab-Israeli peace is ever achieved it will be because Israel needs America more than America needs a Jewish ally in the Middle East.
*an estimate by the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs puts the total of aid, economic and military, at $114 billion.
