2016 Dec 27^th

We now have a hissy fit by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, occasioned by our country’s failure to veto a UN Security Council resolution condemning Israel’s settlements in conquered territories. Netanyahu now accuses the US of pushing this resolution but neglects to mention that every President from Eisenhower onwards has pushed against Israel’s settlement plans for territories taken by force. Nor does Netanyahu seem to realize that thirteen nations in the UN voted in favor of this resolution with the US abstaining. Apparently, Netanyahu whose nation is already isolated from the Arab World now wants to isolate itself from the rest of the world as well. The hostility of Israeli prime ministers to American presidents has a long history and in spite of Ambassador Bolton’s comments did not begin with President Obama.

We have been told over and over that Israel is our ally and the only democracy in the middle east. We support Israel financially to the tune of about 3.8 billion dollars a year. President Obama has just approved extending this benefit for the next ten years. This amounts to just less than 500 dollars a year for every man, woman and child in Israel. Have we heard a “Thank you” from Netanyahu? Don’t hold your breath.

After the 9/11 attacks we decided to attack Al Qaida in Afghanistan. Their leader, Osama Bin Laden, bragged about the murders.  This was Operation Enduring Freedom. The number of nations offering help, in some instances trivial but in others substantial, consisted of almost all of the UN membership…except for our ally Israel. There were no Israeli troops nor any of Israel’s vaunted air force with us in Afghanistan. Evil Iran was helpful; Israel was not.

Now Trump and some other right-wingers are upset at the cost to the United States of UN membership. We do pay dues of slightly over three billion a year and that is more than the next however many nations pay altogether in membership costs. How is that fair? Why should we pay so much? This is the constant question from the UN deniers who believe we shouldn’t be in the organization no matter what it costs.

So how are the monetary contributions of member countries determined? They are based on a formula that depends very heavily on each nation’s Gross Domestic Product; relatively rich nations pay more than relatively poor nations. There is a limit however; no matter how rich the nation is, the limit of its contribution tops out at a GNP of 22 percent of the world’s GNP. Our GNP is actually 27 percent of the world’s GNP but we are only committed to that 22 percent, so as a matter of fact our dues are a bargain.

Unfortunately, a number of UN member countries, including the US, are perennially behind in dues payments.