US Aid to Israel: Investing in Settlements, Not Seniors
While The New Arab details the horrific beating of 70-year-old Basim Saleh Yassin by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank—a man reportedly deaf and trying to protect his livelihood—U.S. politicians continue to fund the very infrastructure that enables such brutality. The pattern of settler violence, often unchallenged by Israeli forces, isn't new; it's a documented, escalating reality that
The New York Times and Washington Post selectively highlight. The U.S. provided Israel with $3.8 billion in military aid in 2023 alone, as documented by Congressional Research Service reports. This consistent financial backing, championed by organizations like AIPAC (which funneled over $17.6 million into the 2022 elections, according to OpenSecrets.org), ensures the continued expansion of
settlements deemed illegal under international law. So, while an elderly, deaf Palestinian man is left battered, the U.S. political class votes to ensure the perpetuation of the system that allows his attackers to operate with impunity. It truly makes one wonder whose 'security' our tax dollars are really protecting.