Reports last week said the Israeli government is currently building an AWACS airborne early warning command and control system (the Israelis call their system PHALCON) for the Chinese air force. The system, say experts, will dramatically increase the People's Liberation Army (PLA) air force's offensive strike capability (a policy the Chinese adopted recently), expand their ability to identify and attack enemy targets with warplanes, and generally place the Chinese air force on par with some of the most advanced Western air forces on the planet.

"At least some" (although I'd say "most") of the AWACS technology Israel is selling to China, to be installed and mounted on the airframe of a Russian Il-76, is comprised of U.S. technology. The Israeli government, the proud recipient of some $3.5 billion annually in taxpayer-financed "aid," knows it is not supposed to be selling this technology, giving it away, or in any way allowing potential adversaries access to it.

But it is doing so anyway because, hey, it's theirs to sell and there are several billion dollars to be made in providing such systems to the Chinese and other potentially hostile states.

I have an idea about how to make this right.

We should "thank" the Israelis properly by responding in kind.

Perhaps the U.S. government should provide Iran, Iraq and Syria with similar technology. Or maybe, since the Clinton administration is already in the habit, we should provide these Arab nations with nuclear weapons technology, because it's ours to sell and, hey, there are billions of dollars to be made.

Do you have any doubt about how the Israeli government would react to such a proposal? Do you have any doubt that most mainstream media morons with a microphone or a keyboard would immediately brand our government "anti-Semitic" and "Jew haters, one and all"?

And yet, Americans are supposed to sit idly by and watch one of our "allies," one of our "buddies," put our own national security at risk by doing exactly the same thing. I say "our own national security" because the U.S. is likely to have to face Chinese military forces someday -- not Israel.

Worse, we're not only expected to take this and shut up about it, the Israeli government also expects United States taxpayers to continue writing billions of dollars worth of "aid" checks to it because they're an "ally."

To hell with that. In fact, to blazes with continuing any form of aid to the state of Israel until they can behave like a real ally and preserve the technology we so freely provide and trust them with.

I have no doubt that the U.S. hasn't always been Israel's "ideal" ally. I know, for instance, that our intelligence agencies spy on Israel, that we have often pursued a foreign policy with some of Israel's neighbors that weren't in Tel Aviv's best interests, and that both countries have experienced periods of mistrust and cynicism. But I cannot think of a single instance where the U.S. obtained sensitive hi-tech military gear and technology from Israel then sold it to a potential adversary. All U.S./Mideast military sales have been to countries like Saudi Arabia and Egypt that have made peace with Israel and are no longer threats.

Since its creation, the country of Israel has most definitely received more benefit from being our ally than the other way around, regardless of how you look at it. The fact that the Israelis have nuclear weapons, a hi-tech air force and the ability to perform sophisticated defense-related research and development is occurring today because of U.S. generosity and assistance.

On the other hand Israel has repeatedly done things like bomb our naval ships (the USS Liberty in 1967 comes to mind), spied on us as well, and has sold or exchanged sensitive military and industrial technology with dubious partner states. And for decades they have gotten away unpunished because we still think we cannot have a successful Mideast foreign policy without them -- though nobody offers any reasonable explanation for that point of view.

Besides, it is unconscionable that a nation like Israel -- surrounded by enemies 24 hours a day, seven days a week since its creation in 1947 -- would even consider providing the most technologically advanced warfighting equipment to any potential adversary, no matter how large the profit margin. Either the entire Israeli government is on drugs or in a deep, deep state of denial.

When you've had to fight for your right to live every single day of your life, what would compel you to better arm your enemies? Does the Israeli government seriously believe that much of the technology they are providing China will never make it back into the hands of their Mideast adversaries? Syria, Iran and, to a lesser extent, Iraq, are all military client states of China.

Not only that but it is an abomination that our government would trust Israel with any hi-tech hardware, knowing they are holding "white sales" and "blue light specials," selling that same technology to adversarial states.

The Clinton administration has expressed its "concern" to Israel over the sale of the PHALCON AWACS technology to China, as well as their sale of ballistic missile and jet fighter technology. Well, brother -- that isn't good enough. That's the diplomatic equivalent of giving them a free pass.

Maybe we can't entirely stop Israel from selling any military gear they want to whomever they want (though, by threatening to withhold further financial aid, we should try). But we can sure end any joint military research and development projects with Israel and withdraw our ironclad guarantee of defending them should countries using the same technology they sold them eventually attack. Even if the Israeli government doesn't think more of protecting its own citizens than to endanger them like this, the U.S. government ought to think more of our citizens and soldiers than to sacrifice them for an ungrateful and greedy "ally."

A report that barely surfaced a few weeks ago quoted Israeli military officials as acknowledging that the Israeli air force had "defeated" U.S. combat pilots by a ratio of "200-to-1" in a mock aerial battle held last summer. If true, then obviously the Israelis don't need the U.S. Air Force "protecting" them any longer.

We should save at least $3.5 billion a year in foreign aid by withholding our "Israeli contribution" and using it to better train our own combat pilots; they could use it.

But whatever we do with the money, all foreign aid to Israel should be eliminated -- today -- unless Tel Aviv agrees to suspend this PHALCON AWACS sale to China (and a host of other joint U.S./Israel hi-tech military sales). It's time this country sent a message to our "allies" -- if you want our help and protection, don't screw us over.