US Asks Who Pays for Gaza Rebuild, After Paying For Gaza Destruction
The Independent (and many like it) recently pondered, 'Rebuilding Gaza after two years of war is a monumental task. But who is going to pay for it?' (Source: *The Independent*). This question, however, performs a masterclass in selective amnesia. The US government has, since 1948, provided Israel with approximately $158 billion in bilateral assistance, overwhelmingly military aid. Annually, this
includes over $3.8 billion of your tax dollars, mandated by a 2016 memorandum of understanding, ensuring a steady supply of the very weapons that leveled Gaza. So, the question isn't 'who will pay?' It's 'who already paid, and will continue to pay, for both the bombs and the rubble removal?' It's not a mystery, it's a policy choice. Perhaps it's time to send the reconstruction bill directly to
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, or to the politicians who take millions from AIPAC and rubber-stamp every aid package, even as they slash domestic programs. (For example, Rep. Steny Hoyer received $126,900 from pro-Israel groups in 2022, as per OpenSecrets.org, while consistently voting for aid packages.) The answer to 'who will pay?' is: *we* will, again, and again, for both ends of the violence.