U.S. says Israel refuses to give back enriched uranium

[Scurrilous]

http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/402095.html

<snip>

"Israel refuses to return highly-enriched uranium it received from the United States years ago to fuel the Nahal Sorek nuclear reactor, according to a report produced by the U.S. Department of Energy.
The department said it will step up efforts to encourage the return of enriched uranium from overseas.

The U.S. has been working since 1996 to recover enriched uranium it had supplied to friendly nations in the framework of the "Atoms for Peace" program, the report said.

The American effort is meant to prevent the uranium's use for building nuclear weaponry.

The Department of Energy has thus far succeeded in recovering just 2.6 tons of enriched uranium to the U.S., while other nations continue to hold onto some 15 tons."

[Leilani]

1. If we really want it back

Then just threaten to cut off the billions in aid we give them.

Every Israeli citizen gets health care. My tax dollars go to Israel, & I don't have insurance.

Someone please explain this policy to me!

[_Jumper_]

2. That threat will never be made

When is the last time a US president forced Israel to do anything regarding its domestic affairs or regarding the Palestinians? Look at what the Israeli lobby did when Bush I--a president with approval ratings at 70% at the time--tried to tie loans to settlement building.

[Leilani]

4. Exactly!!

AIPAC & other lobbying groups have every politician in Washington
scared stiff. It's disgusting!

[Gimel]

3. Israelis pay

for health insurance from their pay checks and the employers pay a portion as well. The health funds are constantly in deep debt. Does that explain it?

The unemployed get a portion of their small allotment deducted for health care. Foreign workers get health care and even illegal workers get health care and gas masks provided. That is a major expenditure, and Israel has on the verge of a financial crisis for years. Israelis pay for the health care, not you.

[_Jumper_]

5. What % of Israel's defense budget is paid for by Uncle Sam?

Even though it no longer needs military aid to survive because it has nuclear weapons as a deterrance.

[Gimel]

7. Is defense health care?

Or is it that you switch from funding one to the other of the 3 billion a year. The defense budget about 30 times the US aid allotment.


(IsraelNN.com) The Knesset passed the 2003 state budget in its second and third readings. The 269.8 billion shekel budget passed by a 54-25 vote with 11 abstentions.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=35699

In December, the defense establishment agreed to a NIS 41b. budget for 2003, including a NIS 1b. cut and a deferred NIS 5b. cost of fighting the Palestinian terrorism campaign. The roughly NIS 6.3b. shortfall was to be funded by US aid, which has not arrived.

http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/jpost/index.html?ts=1078728008

About $1.5 billion of US aid is for defense. That amount is not figured into the defense budget.

By the way, nuclear weapons do not fight Palestinian terror and is not a deterrent for suicide bombers.

[_Jumper_]

9. Money is fungible, what is its defense budget in US dollars?

You are correct about WMD and terrorism but Israel, a relatively wealthy country, can purchase enough weapons on its own to fight Palestinians with uzis, rocks, and bombs. Israel isn't exactly facing the Red Army.

[Leilani]

6. My tax dollars go to Israel

in the billions!!!

If my tax dollars stayed here, maybe my gov. could help us pay for medical care. I just want access to insurance.

Maybe if they are on the verge of financial crisis, they should fix their country.

And we are running the largest deficits in history, so we're not exactly rolling in dough either.

[Gimel]

8. You'll have to cut

a lot of spending to significantly reduce your personal taxes. US aid to Israel is but a drop in the bucket of the national budget.

[drewb]

10. "Drop in the bucket here, drop in the bucket there..."

Pretty soon we're talking real money...

:loveya:

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[Resistance]

13. No!

I'm not listening I'm not listening You can't make me I won't listen IDF=good Palestinians=bad I'm not listening I'm not listening You can't make me I won't listen IDF=good Palestinians=bad I'm not listening I'm not listening You can't make me I won't listen IDF=good Palestinians=bad I'm not listening I'm not listening You can't make me I won't listen IDF=good Palestinians=bad