Ask Cicilline Why our Tax Dollars are Going to Israel

Congressman Cicilline needs to explain giving your money away.

Congressman David Cicilline Photo courtesy: queerty.com

(JAMESTOWN, RI) - Congressman Cicilline owes an explanation to Rhode Island taxpayers. While most of our larger cities contemplate bankruptcy, and citizens suffer the brunt of budget cuts, higher taxes, and slashed social programs, the congressman is lavishly giving your money away to a foreign country.

Last week, the congressman was an original co- sponsor of H.R.4229, which received no media coverage from Rhode Island media outlets. This bill requires U.S. taxpayers’ money be given to Israel so they can buy and expand the Iron Dome missile system. That’s right; you are buying them a missile system.

The cost was excluded from the bill so as not to outrage citizens, but on April 4 Israel requested $700 million for its purchase. But wait, there is more! In addition to this $700 million, you already gave over $200 million for the originally deployed missiles. This was done by our Congress, while telling the tornado-destroyed residents of Joplin, Mo., there was no assistance money left for them. In addition to the Iron Dome system, you graciously paid a minimum of $1.5 billion to help Israel develop the “Arrow” missile system, which has yet to be tested.

You have donated over 13 billion dollars in aid to Israel since the recession began, not counting the 3.1 billion in military aid each year. It gets worse!

Next time you fill up you gas tank, consider that you also pay for the gas and fuel used by Israeli army. While drastically slashing social programs for Americans, Congress has increased aid to Israel this year. Yes increased!

All these are well kept secrets to mitigate public anger. We need an explanation from our media about their silence, and we need the congressman to explain why he is giving our tax money to a foreign nation while we suffer cuts at home. How about it congressman?

First published by the Westerly Sun

Salem-News.com Writer Joe Clifford, lives in historic Jamestown, Rhode Island, and has contributed a number of articles relating to foreign policy to newspapers in the Rhode Island area for years.

He graduated from Providence College where he earned an undergraduate and graduate degree. After a lengthy career as a high school teacher he turned to the study of US foreign policy, and then to writing, as a means of expressing an alternative perspective. His reading and research on foreign policy is broad and extensive, especially as the policy relates to the Middle East. His interest in foreign policy was inspired by the American misadventure in Vietnam. You can write to Joe at this address: jc21131@gmail.com