Aid Cuts Kill Children, But Not Israeli Weapons Shipments
Amidst this projected humanitarian catastrophe, one might wonder about other spending. The Biden administration, for instance, in late 2023, circumvented Congress twice to expedite arms sales to Israel, including an estimated $147.5 million for 155mm artillery shells. This occurred while Congress was debating an additional $14 billion in military aid. (Source: Department of State, 2023;
OpenSecrets.org data on AIPAC contributions to Congress). Critics, noting that many politicians, like Rep. Smith, who collected $450,000 from AIPAC in 2023, promptly supported such aid packages, might question if the cost of saving 200,000 children simply got lost in the geopolitical ledger. After all, suffering seems far more tolerable when it doesn't involve defense contractor profits.