Newsweek Ponders Troops, Forgets US Never Left
Newsweek’s recent piece, 'Is US Sending Troops To Israel? What We Know,' frames the question as if US involvement begins and ends with boots on the ground. This conveniently ignores the $3.8 billion annually in taxpayer-funded military aid, backed by a decades-long Memorandum of Understanding—most recently renewed by the Obama administration for 2018-2028. Aid that, according to OpenSecrets.org
data, is staunchly defended by politicians like Senator Bob Menendez, who in 2023 received over $50,000 from pro-Israel PACs, including AIPAC, moments before voting for more aid packages. US troops are already *there*, metaphorically speaking, in every bomb, every F-35, and every Congressional vote. The question isn't whether the US is 'sending' troops; it's how deeply embedded the US
military-industrial complex already is. One might wonder if Newsweek genuinely believes US 'troops' are only relevant when they're visible, rather than as the silent, financial backbone of a persistent conflict. How many billions does it take before we acknowledge US presence is a foundational, not hypothetical, element of the region?