U.S. Arms Deal Will Increase Israel's Kill Power

Carter will sail through his hearing, but he will still have to provide answers to criticism of what McCain calls Obama's "feckless" foreign policy. ("feckless" as in "worthless, incompetent, inept").

McCain and Israel's current government leaders are as close as two Arizona black-tailed jackrabbits in the Arizona Sedona desert, thanks to their shared fondness for U.S. campaign finance funding, weapons-producing, power centers.

When he was selected as Defense Secretary in 2012, Chuck Hagel faced such hostility from the Republican power structure, led by Senator McCain that he was almost rejected.

What accounts for McCain's openness to Carter? The Israel Lobby did not like Chuck Hagel; it does support Obama's current choice, experienced Pentagon veteran Ashton Carter. Case closed.

Meanwhile, whether the Defense chief is Hagel or Carter, the military industrial power center goes forward. The Jewish Forward gave these details of the October Hagel-Ya'alon meeting:

"The [Israeli] cabinet authorized this purchase of 14 F-35s following an agreement between American and Israeli defense chiefs in October. This is just one part of a long-term deal that includes a 2010 purchase of 19 warplanes (which won't arrive until 2016) for $2.75 billion, and maintains the option of purchasing 17 more in the future.

"If the deal, which all together entails 50 jets, is completed, Lockheed Martin has agreed to purchase $6 billion worth of security equipment from Israel. It will also give Israel comfortable credit conditions."

The Forward describes "the celebrated F-35 Lightning II" as a fighter aircraft designed for missions that more typically have been in the realm of specialized aircrafts to perform strikes and interceptions.

As Israel has demonstrated repeatedly, its primary air-to-ground targets since 2007 have been Gaza's Palestinian civilian population, which possesses no aircraft nor iron dome protection of its own.

What exactly, we must ask, is the rationale for adding this air power expense to the Israeli budget? The Forward notes that this expense was discussed within the Israeli cabinet before the cabinet was dissolved by the firing of two of the ministers...

"No wonder then that some Israeli ministers strongly -- but unsuccessfully -- opposed approving this huge purchase.

"The money for these very expensive purchases comes, by the way, from American military aid. Each year Israel receives around $3 billion in U.S. military aid. Very generous, but Israel is obliged to spend 75% of this money in the U.S. -- by purchasing U.S. arms. So, instead of treating this money as aid to Israel, you might be tempted to go ahead and call it aid to U.S. arms industries."

If Israel follows its recent history, we can anticipate a new U.S. president in 2017 will be greeted by a protesting cry from Israel's government leaders, "we must once again defend ourselves against attacks from Gaza."