Follow the money and politics empowering Israel’s right wing extremists

Israel gets the most U.S. foreign aid but Netanyahu snubs American Presidents. What gives?

“The fundamental problem for American presidents who have attempted to work with Benjamin Netanyahu is that he does not care what American presidents think.” – The Atlantic

Netanyahu built a coalition of ultra-Orthodox and religious Zionist parties that returned him to power, leading an even more extreme government. – VOX
Netanyahu and Trump: two desperate men exploiting power to save themselves. Israeli PM growing increasingly Trumplike in willingness to turn a personal crisis into a national one to stay in power and out of jail. – The Guardian
Netanyahu’s ‘list of millionaires’ of potential donors prepared by then-opposition leader in 2007 provides peek into his fundraising industry in US. Officials include extreme rightists, people who got in trouble with law – YNET News
How US residents are funding illegal settlements in the West Bank – The Guardian

Follow the money to understand the money and politics empowering Israel’s right wing extremists and President Biden’s strategy to curb extremism and bring about a fair solution.

U.S. Foreign Aid

U.S. Aid publishes a list of the countries getting American foreign aid. This data is overlaid with the population of each country to show how much the U.S. gives per person in the recipient country. Explore the map.

Money behind Netanyahu

“Netanyahu’s list of millionaires – prepared by Benjamin Netanyahu then-opposition leader in 2007 provides peek into his fundraising industry in US. Officials include extreme rightists, people who got in trouble with law. This list of potential donors, which was prepared ahead of the 2007 primary elections… According to estimates, 98% of the funds donated to Netanyahu came from abroad.” was published by the Yedioth Ahronoth daily.

Kushner family connection

“Charles Kushner is the father of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner. Donald Trump’s latest flurry of presidential pardons for allies included a family member, Charles Kushner, who was jailed 15 years ago for tax evasion, making illegal campaign donations and tampering with a witness, his brother-in-law, by orchestrating a sex tape with a prostitute and sending it to the man’s wife. – PressBolt News

Jared Kushner knew Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister, who was friendly with his father, a real estate developer and donor to Israeli causes. Mr. Netanyahu had even stayed at the Kushners’ home in New Jersey, sleeping in Jared’s bedroom… Kushner is a mystery to most Middle Eastern officials. He has no experience in government or international affairs. His up-close exposure to the Arab world amounts to little more than trips to a handful of Persian Gulf countries and a star-studded jaunt to Jordan.

Mr. Kushner’s family has made donations to the Beit El settlement, which Mustafa Barghouti, a Palestinian leader who was involved in peace talks both with Israelis and internally finds particularly worrisome. “We need somebody who is really impartial, pointing out that it is unclear whether Mr. Kushner has ever visited a Palestinian area (the Trump White House would not say). “There is no indication he is interested in hearing from the other side.” – NY Times

Follow the Trump-Kushner-Netanyahu connections

How US residents are funding illegal settlements in the West Bank

An Israeli crowdfunding platform, IsraelGives, has allowed US residents to donate millions of dollars since 7 October to causes including illegal West Bank settlements… Legal experts say that some of these campaigns may be illegal under US tax law, but that this is rarely enforced on donors to Israeli causes… The international community considers West Bank settlements illegal, but the hardline Benjamin Netanyahu government in June announced plans to expand their construction.” – The Guardian

Biden’s Smart Strategy for Outmaneuvering Bibi

The fundamental problem for American presidents who have attempted to work with Benjamin Netanyahu is that Benjamin Netanyahu does not care what American presidents think. An exceptional English orator who was raised in Philadelphia, Netanyahu believes that he can outmaneuver and outlast American politicians on their own turf… Recognizing the errors of the past, the Biden administration has charted a different course aimed at outmaneuvering Netanyahu, seeking to succeed where their predecessors did not… Biden has full-throatedly supported Israel against Hamas while simultaneously assailing the country’s hard-right governing coalition. And it offers a glimpse at the administration’s intended endgame for the war—and for Netanyahu himself.” – The Atlantic

TakeAway: Follow the money, relationships and political survival schemes to understand why right wing extremists in Israel have so much power.

Deepak
DemLabs

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