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.
