Mazin Qumsiyeh writes in an email:
Associated Press Story: "The two men selected to serve as Hillary Clinton's deputy secretaries of state, Jacob Lew and James Steinberg, also filed financial disclosure forms. Lew, a former Clinton administration official who recently headed Citigroup's Alternative Investments unit, reported 2008 salary income of just over $1 million along with numerous investments, including between $50,000 and $100,000 in State of Israel bonds."….
Please write to the White House and news sources if you agree that there is a conflict of Interest in these appointments.
Please write to the White House and news sources if you agree that there is a conflict of Interest in these appointments.
Also, note that both Hillary's deputies are Jewish, per Wikipedia. Shouldn't State have a little diversity in with the diversity?
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{ 43 comments }
Do any other foreign state bonds get a USA federal tax deduction?
I just found a message in the spam folder at my blog from someone called "Dor", which said among other things
"I'll be glad to let your neighbors know that you support Palestinian terror."
These trolls are all the same, aren't they?
Israel bonds are paying comparably to bank CD rates.
Not a horrible choice.
Carol,
What specific tax deduction are you referring. I've never seen it.
As long ago as the early 1990s, the Wall Street Journal described the top tiers of the State Department as being an almost exclusively Jewish male preserve.
Hillary's shameless, thoughtless selection of deputies makes clear that nothing has changed.
How about a State Department that 'looks like America' for a change? I know that's a radical demand … but these are radical times.
So, you've now just stated that being Jewish means you can't work for the government? Or are you saying there must be a quota? Exactly what racist position are you taking?
So, you've now just stated that being Jewish means you can't work for the government? Or are you saying there must be a quota? Exactly what racist position are you taking?
No racist position. It has nothing to do with being Jewish per se, it has to do with fierce loyalty to another country at the expense of the one where you currently live and work and have agreed to serve in the interest of.
chris, he's suggesting by analogy that if there are 11 whites on a jury, and one or 0 blacks, and the defendant is black, there might be a problem of objectivity. If that is a racist suggestion divorced from reality/common sense, please clarify why you think so. I know it sure would be a factor in voire dire jury selection by any competent lawyer. So savvy lawyers are also all racists merely because they
deal in the practical when much is at stake?
Somewhat selective that racist cry:
If the defendant is Jewish, then jury of 12 Jewish jurors is perfectly all right, and to suggest otherwise is taking a racist position.
If the defendant is Jewish, then jury of 12 non-jewish jurors is racist, because there is a problem of objectivity which sure would be a factor in voire dire jury selection by any competent lawyer.
I sometimes think that the hasbara operatives are send here by a deeply camouflaged and embedded anti-semitic sleeper plant in the the Ministry of Propaganda in Tel-Aviv.
Richard Witty said: "Israel bonds are paying comparably to bank CD rates."
And we all know that the only thing that matters is money, right?
Jamie, your comment is inappropriate.
Israel bonds are paying comparably to bank CD rates.
Not a horrible choice.
Since the rates are comparable, then the choice is key. Why choose a state of Israel bond, than say, a california bond, or a citibank cd?
Especially since choosing a foreign bond takes that invested money out of the American economy, whereas the CA bond or an American bank CD helps support our own country's economy.
Of course, that's not to mention that buying an Israel bond helps support the illegal settlements, and the removal of the Bedouin citizens of Israel from their lands. I thought you were against the settlements, Richard?
'So, you've now just stated that being Jewish means you can't work for the government? Or are you saying there must be a quota?'
If the overwhelming proportion of Jews in key posts were Arabs instead, would you feel the same way? Would you feel a bit apprehensive about the potential for ethnic partisanship to sway US policy away from what you perceived as Israel's interests (let alone America's)? Be honest with yourself Chris – put the shoe on the other foot, walk a few yards and tell us the truth.
And of course, Chris has changed the subject yet again. The question Phillip posed was why is a top-level member of the state department buying Israeli bonds and doesn't that act call into question that person's neutrality in dealing with Middle East issues? The question would be a valid one no matter what the person's religion or ethnicity was. The question is not how many Jews are there at state, its how even-handed can members of the State Department be when they are investing in bonds that help support the West Bank settlements?
During the mid to late 20th century, a cultural war was fought over the abnormal dominance of white [read 'WASP'] males in positions of power, which implied the systematic exclusion of women, racial minorities, and sometimes Jews.
Quotas are controversial, but the general consensus as expressed during the Clinton administration was that public institutions ought to 'look like America.'
Whereas the State Department looks like a Hollywood studio. LOL. Regretably, I am not entertained. I am not enjoying this movie. I don't like war dramas and bloody slaughter.
It means that he supports Israel in that incremental way.
Not all that different than donating $1000 to a charity.
Its a stupid litmus test.
'Israel bonds are paying comparably to bank CD rates. Not a horrible choice.' — R. Witty
Not horrible, no. But there are higher CD rates available, insured up to $250,000 by the FDIC — a branch of the AAA-rated U.S. government.
Israel bonds are dollar-denominated, foreign currency obligations of the Israeli government, which is rated A1 by Moody's, and 'A' by Standard and Poor's and Fitch.
Thus, the proper comparison of Israel Bonds is not to CDs, but to the dollar-denominated obligations of other similarly-rated sovereign issuers … most of which offer higher yields than Israel bonds.
To put it in different terms, buyers of Israel bonds are sacrificing some income (as compared to similar alternatives) on behalf of their cause. That's their choice, but Israel bonds are not a competitive investment. They are an 'ethnic affinity' financial product for a carefully targeted market.
http://www.multinationalmonitor.org/hyper/issues/1988/04/mm0488_10.html
A bit dated, but here's the scoop on Israel bonds; the bottom line is
the USA goy working class, especially government employees, of all sub-groups, are unknowingly and with nothing they can do about it, supporting the settlements via their pensions, which invest in crappy and low-paying Israel bonds:
I don't think it gets better than this. The Hebrews hit Egyptian towns up and hatted out with their booty in biblical days–they didn't want to be laying bricks and mortar on Egyptian public works projects anymore ("we were slaves in Egypt') even though they got insurance and pay checks.
It's time for American gentiles to wake up for they are slaves in the land of Judea, formerly know as the USA.
Currently, Israel bonds are paying 2.1% interest. Nothing better? In a key way it does not matter since giant USA local and state government pensions invest in them for their individual member pensions with no employee input whatsoever.
Will somebody please tell me what other foreign government bonds are IRS tax deductible like Israel bonds?
Please state how Israel bonds are a tax deduction. If you can't, then perhaps you are lying to forward your particular agenda?
As for the rest, Mazin's statement was a proper question. Weiss turned it into a quota session. Very racist.
Colin Murray: "Jamie, your comment is inappropriate."
I disagree. RW's comment implies that Israel is a good investment, a far more inappropriate comment than my reply.
It is better then a good investment, it is a fine investment.
It sucks as an investment. Just google Israel bonds. What foreign government bonds are USA tax deductible other than Israel bon
nds?
So called Citizen couldn't answer and now will so called American also eat his words?
Please state how Israel bonds are a tax deduction. If you can't, then perhaps you are lying to forward your particular agenda?
Didn't you know? Corrupt Jewish Social Networking Rules!
It appears that Joachim is a real piece of work. Fits in well with mondo's agenda.
There is evidently a new "America " here…this one
posted by American| January 31, 2009 at 10:10 PM
is not me.
But this American never eats his words.
Israelis are midget nazis. Destroy them and deport all zionist from the US.
"It appears that Joachim is a real piece of work."
Wow – something we can agree on!
"Fits in well with mondo's agenda."
Wrong again, bucko.
Typical racist remark.
For me, Joachim's most important work is this one:
http://www.vtjp.org/articles/Historiography_of_Pre-State_Zionism.htm
But Joachim is merely a racist.
Are you stating that that is also your claim?
I guess anyone reading your blog and posts might come to that conclusion.
You don't have to be a forensic accountant to understand that Israel itself is a gaint ponzi scheme. It's all right in front of you. All you need to do is compare the CIA world country report to the facts of Israel's income sources.
You have a country that is NOT economically self supporting selling bonds and borrowing money continously in order to say afloat.
US aid alone is more than 10% of Israel's total budget, that doesn't count Germany's aid.
"If" aid to Israel stopped, even if it was lowered..or if they really had to pay off the US loans..or if their bond sales declined….you would have another Madoff crash. And it would take the pensions of millions of Americans with it. Typical of a con game, the con gets so far in your pocket the mark has no choice but to keep fronting more money to the con hoping to recoup what he has already sunk the deal. But eventually it goes bust. Every banker knows this nightmare…a business you've loaned money to starts to go bad, you loan them some more to recapitalize them because the bank doesn't want to lose what it has already loaned and take the loss, eventually the bad business tanks and the bank loses even more. That is where the US is with Israel.
If the zionist are worried about American's opinions of them now wait till our current financial situtation really becomes clearly unfixable in the near term future. Congress lives in La-La land, they have no idea what they are doing. As we slid deeper into a depression they are going to have a hard…let's say an impossible time..explaining the billions that flow out to Israel…and elsewhere.
And when the US government can't meet it's obligations..and that is a distinct possibility..after all we already have 12 bankrupt states in the union..well lots of shit will hit the fan.
Israel: U.S. Foreign Assistance
Publication Date: April 2005
Publisher: Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Topic: Economics (Economic relations)
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/10207/818
Coverage: Israel
Abstract:
Israel is not economically self-sufficient, and relies on foreign assistance and borrowing to maintain its economy. Since 1985, the United States has provided $3 billion in grants annually to Israel. Since 1976, Israel has been the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance, and is the largest cumulative recipient since World War II. In addition to U.S. assistance, it is estimated that Israel receives about $1 billion annually through philanthropy, an equal amount through short- and long- term commercial loans, and around $1 billion in Israel Bonds proceeds.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu told a joint session of Congress on July 10, 1996, that Israel would reduce its need for U.S. aid over the next four years. In January 1998, F i n a n c e Minister Neeman proposed eliminating the $1.2 billion economic aid and increasing the $1.8 billion in military aid by $60 million per year during a 10-year period beginning in the year 2000. The FY1999 through 2005 appropriations bills included cuts of $120 million in economic aid and an increase of $60 million in military aid for each year.
U.S. aid to Israel has some unique aspects, such as loans with repayment waived, or a pledge to provide Israel with economic assistance equal to the amount Israel owes the United States for previous loans. Israel also receives special benefits that may not be available to other countries, such as the use of U.S. military assistance for research and development in the United States, the use of U.S. military assistance for military purchases in Israel, or receiving all its assistance in the first 30 days of the fiscal year rather than in 3 or 4 installments as other countries do.
In addition to the foreign assistance, the United States has provided Israel with $625 million to develop and deploy the Arrow antimissile missile (an ongoing project), $1.3 billion to develop the Lavi aircraft (cancelled), $200 million to develop the Merkava tank (operative), $130 million to develop the high energy laser anti-missile system (ongoing), and other military projects. In FY2000 the United States provided Israel an additional $1.2 billion to fund the Wye agreement, and in FY2002 the United States provided an additional $200 million in anti-terror assistance.
For FY2005, the United States provided $360 million in economic, $2.22 billion in military, and $50 million in migration resettlement assistance.
[For more information, see CRS Issue Brief IB82008, Israel-United States Relations.]
Now..look at where the money comes from and compare it to Israel's total revenues.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Israel_Bonds
State of Israel Bonds are debt securities issued by the Government of Israel.
State of Israel Bonds is also the more familiar name of the underwriter of the bonds in the United States. The company is officially known as the Development Corporation for Israel (DCI). DCI is headquartered in New York , and is a FINRA-registered broker-dealer. Joshua Matza, a former deputy mayor of Jerusalem, 18-year member of Israel's parliament (the Knesset), and minister of health in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, has served as DCI's President and CEO since 2002. DCI is also a member of the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC).
The sale of Israel bonds has become a global enterprise. In addition to the United States, bonds are sold in Canada, Latin America, and Europe. Sales bonds have increased steadily since the initial Independence Issue, with total sales now exceeding $26 billion.
Within six years, according to an article in the 21 January 1957, issue of Time magazine, "bond sales alone amount(ed) to an astonishing 35% of Israel's special development budget." The article quoted Foreign Minister Golda Meir, who emphatically stated, "the central role in building our economic strength has been played by Israel bonds."
1993 to 2008
Annual sales continued to stay at $1 billion or above as Israel bonds became increasingly viewed not only as a means of supporting Israel, but as a useful financial investment as well, particularly for pension funds.
In May 2008, the Israel Bonds organization was honored in Israel as part of a series of official events celebrating the nation’s 60th anniversary. Held at the Knesset and hosted by Speaker Dalia Itzik, with the participation of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Finance Minister Roni Bar-On, the tribute saluted the singular role the Bonds organization played in building, developing and strengthening Israel’s economy.
In 2008, worldwide sales reached $1.044 billion. Israel's Finance Ministry has asked the Bonds organization to secure an additional $1 billion in 2009.
Half of the states in the US have invested in State of Israel bonds. In 2003, the State of New Jersey pension system purchased $20 million in bonds. In 2005, the Texas Treasury purchased $2 million in the bonds, bringing its total investments to $20 million,[5] and Louisiana purchased $5 million.[6]
In 2007 Florida adopted a bill authorizing county and local governments throughout the State to invest surplus funds in State of Israel bonds. More than $100 million in the bonds are purchased every year within Florida by various individuals, corporations, pension plans, universities, hospitals, foundations, unions, banks and insurance companies.[7] The same year, New Mexico announced the purchase of $5 million in State of Israel Bonds, adding to the $10 million that the State had purchased in 2003.
On September 18, 2008, the city and state of New York each announced their intention to purchase $15 million in Israel bonds.
In January 2009, the state of Illinois purchased $10 million worth of Israel Bonds. Illinois state treasurer Alexi Giannoulias stated that "This is a good way to safely diversity our portfolio, especially during a time when some of our other investment options aren't generating as much revenue because of the market fluctuations here in the United States." Giannoulias stated that the Israel Bonds will mature in three years with a 2.43 percent rate of return, compared to U.S. government bonds yielding a 1.51 percent return during the same period.[8]
Interesting post, American. The idea of a ponzi scheme does seem apt.
When you combine official U.S. aid, hidden U.S. aid, philanthropy from diaspora Jewry, Israel bond sales, and commercial credit, you're talking about roughly 10% of the country's annual GDP ($160B).
(Does anyone know if Germany is still paying?)
I should have know that the answer would be yes. It appears from this that there's very roughly another $1B coming in per year via the various Holocaust survivor programs (from Germany, other European governments, and various big corporations).
There are ongoing talks for Poland to pay Israel repatriations for the Jewish property worth approx. 30-40 billion, this being separate from individual claims.
Individual claims for property are handled by courts and, like German claims, transfer the property titles back to the original owner's descendants.
There are concerns in Poland that the money will not find its way to victims of polish descent, a bit like repatriations for victims of Holocaust that ended up not being paid to survivors.
The German Government is still paying holocaust survivors.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?apage=2&cid=1195546723175&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Another interesting thing about Israel's economy is their weapons sales which is
their largest export in dollars.
What makes it even more interesting is if you go to the FAS arms sales data bank you will see that Israel 'exports' more weapons than they 'import'(mainly from the US).
So what we have here is a country that spends 2 billon of their annual US aid (not counting freebies from the pentagon) on weapons …and yet sells more than they buy.
Isrel is also number two on the international money laundering list,number two on the blood diamond market,number one in the escasty drug market smuggling into the US courtesy of those Russian jews we loaned 10 billion to Israel to 'rescue' them from Russia. According to the FBI the Russian Jewish criminal mafia in the states is now larger than than the South America drug cartel. They now lead the way in illegal drugs, weapons smuggling and money laundering in the US.
Yep, this baby is gonna blow and when it does the US is going to get the biggest enama ever administered in history.
Criss, since jew is not a race it is stupid to call people that don't like them or call them names for obvious reasons, racists.
There is only ONE human race.
This final comment by decembre is the best, most enlightening, and true comment yet. Seriously, folks, go talk to a biology or anthropology doctor: RACE is a CULTURALLY CREATED CONCEPT.
It is a complete misconception, just like ancient peoples created gods to explain things like lightning. They saw lightning, saw that it flowed in one direction, and had to explain it. They created gods.
We see that other people from different areas look different, in order to explain that, we create race. Now we have a word to explain the difference that we can't explain through knowledge.
Oh, wait a second: we CAN explain it through knowledge. If you want to know what skin pigment is actually FROM look up the word Melanin. It's a simple chemical process brought on by the environment, and passed on through parents. However, there is NO GENETIC DIFFERENCE between a WHITE, BLACK, HISPANIC,ARABIC, or ASIAN person.
Therefore it's time to look again at why the entire species continues to speak about RACE as if it's an issue. The fact is that there are ulterior motives for continuing the facade, and guess what THEY ARE NOT ABOUT RACE!!! They are about POWER and MONEY. Simple. If you start throwing around the word Racist, you've missed the point.
What matters here is that people are getting hurt, and the people being appointed to office have INVESTED in the PERPETRATORS.
Can it possibly be any simpler than that?
GET THEM OUT OF THE WHITE HOUSE. WAKE UP.
Never posted here before – this is a test! Seems like this site is a great example of what is going on in all the countries on this planet! ANYWHERE common sense questions are ASKED – MUDSLINGERS come out of the woodwork using words like RACIST or JEW HATER! A QUESTION WAS ASKED!! I, personally, thought it sounded like a valid question – ERGO – I will probably get mud slung at me!!!! BTW, how many of the Presidential Candidates in the last election visited Austria, England, Iceland,India, Japan, Korea, Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia or any other countries during said Presidential Campaign? Now,how many of those same Candidates visited Israel during said Campaign? This is just a QUESTION!! THE MUDSLINGERS will now start SLINGING before they do any research to ACTUALLY ANSWER THE QUESTION!!! FREE COUNTRY – what a concept!! Oh Yeah , I know – I probably don't spell correctly or use the right grammar or maybe most of you can tell that I am short, bald and ugly – BUT I AM JUST ASKING QUESTIONS!!!
See, Michael, you're not alone. Neither am I.
*Sigh* keep asking questions, though, and realize that there IS actually a dividing line, though it's not the one most people try to throw up. It's not race, or religion, or ethnicity, or nationality. No, because I know that there are beautiful people in Israel who are reading and writing and are one with you and I.
The dividing line is fear and anger and stubbornness. We are trying to learn and evolve, and the others are too afraid, angry, and stubborn to try to do those things. Keep evolving though, because if Nature has taught our ridiculous species even ONE damn thing, it's this: Those who evolve survive. Those who remain stagnant die utterly.
Survive, and be at peace friend.
Somehow my previous post – I got my name posted incorrectly(did I mention my spelling and grammar?) Hopefully this one is correct! OK – Appears you understand Ben, wish more people COULD or WOULD! Sucks facing Extinction, simply because the vilest, stupidest and greediest run our world! It's only gonna take a few billion of us to change that – WE GOT TO START SOMWHERE!!!
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