Chuck Hagel etc Not Israel's Problem

In Israel we have our own problems with politicians, cabinet ministers, judges etc.  We should not get involved with or take personally what happens in foreign countries, even what happens in the United States.

Caroline Glick's excellent article about the Obama-Hagel plans and policies should be read by all.  She explains why those policies are a serious danger to the USA. 

Hagel -- and Obama -- have bigger fish to fry than Israel. They are looking to take on the US military. They will slash military budgets, they will slash pensions and medical benefits for veterans in order to save a couple dollars and demoralize the military. They will unilaterally disarm the US to the point where America's antiquated nuclear arsenal will become a complete joke. And I don't see the military capable of stopping it. Anyone remember the F-22?

 

I find the whole Israel angle on Hagel irritating because of this. Yes, Hagel will be bad to Israel. But we can minimize the damage by diversifying our own arsenal and weaning ourselves off of US military handouts that only serve as work subsidies for US military contractors at the expense of Israeli ones.Moreover, for years that military aid has been a corrupting force on Israel's general staff. I've been advocating ending US military aid to Israel for more than a decade, but better late than wait until we find ourselves at war and out of spare parts because Hagel and Obama won't sign the requisition orders to Boeing and Lockheed.

We in Israel should not make American policies our priority.  And like Glick, I too have been stressing the dangers of being reliant on American "aid."  I put the word "aid" in quotation marks, because it's not real "aid" for the sake and improvement of Israel and any other country that receives it.

In Israel, we have the brain power and potential resources to develop and build our own weapons and weapon systems. It would be fantastic for our economy.  We do have a weapons industry, but it has been hampered and seriously restricted by the shopping coupons we get from the American Government.  Those shopping coupons can only be used in "American stores."  That's how the United States props up its inefficient military industries. 

Frequently, Israeli engineers and designers, tweak and improve the American products, but the resulting and far superior weapons are not considered Israeli.  And even when we then manufacture weapons with some American parts our sales are restricted by American policies.  Here in Israel, we just lose out in every way.

In the long run, Israel would be a stronger economy and stronger militarily if we would just become totally independent of American help in all spheres.