Political Activist Josh Ruebner shows a slide during his lecture March 15 in the Culture Awareness Center. Nick Hunte | [email protected]
Students gathered at the Cultural Awareness Center on a rainy afternoon March 15 for a enlightening lecture focused on United States military aid to Israel.
The lecture was given by the National Advocacy director of the U.S. Campaign to end the Israeli Occupation, Josh Ruebner, who also serves as an analyst in Middle East Affairs at Congressional Research Service.
During his presentation, Ruebner revealed that the United States is giving Israel $30 billion in military aid through American taxpayer dollars.
The lecture was based on a policy paper written by Ruebner called “US Military Aid to Israel: Policy Implications and Options” that was released March 6. The paper was published through the U.S. Campaign to End Israeli Occupation, a coalition seeking to change United States policy on Israel/Palestine human rights.
“The United States is scheduled to give Israel, with our taxpayer dollars, $30 billion of weapons,” said Ruebner. “That’s an annual average increase of 25 percent above the previous level. So 25 percent more weapons having 25 percent more of a deadly impact at least.”
Trish Hemingway, a City College student who attended the presentation, says that she is shocked about how much aid the United States government is giving Israel.
“I didn’t know we were spending our money on this,” said Hemingway. “It was an eye opener.”
Ruebner also revealed that the weapons that the United States funds are being misused. According to Ruebner, the weapons are being used to harm Palestinian citizens, which is a violation of human rights.
Ruebner later commented how the United States government is making Israel a priority through the funding taxpayer dollars provide and making United States citizens take a back seat.
“Despite the fact that we are having budget cuts for things like food safety, affordable housing or healthcare, military aid for Israel seems to be going up and up,” Ruebner also pointed out.
City College student Mike Pecinos, a history and Spanish major, claims that his opinion of the U.S. government has changed since listening to the presentation.
“I have always been skeptical about corruption in the government and this presentation has made me more aware,” Pecinos said.
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