- This morning as I was walking down Shuhada Street in
Hebron, I saw graffiti marking the newly painted storefronts and awnings.
-
- Although three months past schedule and 100 percent over
budget, the renovation of Shuhada Street was finally completed this week.
-
- The project manager said the reason for the delay and
cost overruns was the sabotage of the project by the Israeli settlers of
the Beit Hadassah settlement complex in Hebron.
-
- They broke the street lights, stoned project workers,
shot out the windows of bulldozers and other heavy equipment with pellet
guns, broke paving stones before they were laid and now have defaced again
the homes and shops of Palestinians with graffiti.
-
- The settlers did not want Shuhada St. opened to Palestinian
traffic as was agreed to under Oslo II.
-
- This renovation project is paid for by USAID funds and
it makes me angry that my tax dollars have paid for improvements that have
been destroyed by the settlers.
-
- Most Americans are not aware how much of their tax revenue
our government sends to Israel.
-
- For the fiscal year ending in September 30, 1997, the
US gave Israel $ 6.72 billion: $ 6.194 billion falls under Israelís
foreign aid allotment and $ 526 million comes from agencies such as the
Department of Commerce, the US Information Agency and the Pentagon.
-
- The $ 6.72 billion figure does not include loan guarantees
and annual compound interest totalling $ 3.122 billion the US pays on money
borrowed to give to Israel.
-
- It does not include the cost to US taxpayers of IRS tax
exemptions that donors can claim when they donate money to Israeli charities.
-
- (Donors claim approximately $ 1 billion in Federal tax
deductions annually.
-
- This ultimately costs other US tax payers $ 280 million
to $ 390 million.) When grant, loans, interest and tax deductions are added
together for the fiscal year ending in September 30, 1997, our special
relationship with Israel cost US taxpayers over $ 10 billion.
-
- Since 1949 the US has given Israel a total of $ 83.205
billion.
-
- The interest costs borne by US taxpayers on behalf of
Israel are $ 49.937 billion, thus making the total amount of aid given
to Israel since 1949 $ 133.132 billion.
-
- This may mean that the US government has given more federal
aid to the average Israeli citizen in a given year than it has given to
the average American citizen.
-
- I am angry when I see Israeli settlers from Hebron destroy
improvements made to Shuhada Street with my tax money.
-
- Also, it angers me that my government is giving over
$ 10 billion to a country that is more prosperous than most of the other
countries in the world and uses much of its money for strengthening its
military and the oppression of the Palestinian people.
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- http://www.frontierpost.com.pk/articles.asp?id=6&date1=1/4/2002
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