Washington – A prolonged U.S. federal government shutdown could delay military assistance to Israel and other American allies, the State Department said on Wednesday.
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“The State Department’s ability to provide military assistance to Israel and other allies in the time frame that is expected and customary could be hindered, depending on the length of the shutdown,” State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told a news briefing.
Harf gave only the specific example of Israel, the largest recipient of U.S. foreign military funding and a country which enjoys strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress.
The Obama administration had requested $3.1 billion for Israel for the 2014 fiscal year that began on October 1, the day U.S. political stalemate forced a partial shutdown of government. In 2007, the two countries agreed on a 10-year, $30-billion military aid package covering the 2009-18 fiscal years.
Total U.S. foreign military funding was about $5.5 billion for more than 80 countries in 2011, according to State Department data.
Harf said the State Department had not had to furlough any staff as a result of the government shutdown and visa and passport offices which run on fees remained open.
“While there are no furloughs, it’s not just business as usual,” she said. “And there are programs certainly that are affected, and which all could be up and running again if Congress could get some business done.”
Offices at the State Department that have been closed as a result of the shutdown include the Office of the Inspector General and the International Boundary and Water Commission, Harf said.
Of course there are always exceptions to the rule, but the very big majority of the Yidden in America are in very big spiritual danger.
“Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that the Yidden all over the world are in a better condition, but I am worried especially about the Yidden in the United States of America.
“I really want them to do Teshuva, real Teshuva. And I know that I have said this many times, and people don’t understand what I am talking about. Even when you explain it so clearly, most people just brush it off because it’s much more interesting to be busy with the Gashmius than to be busy with the Ruchnius. It take less spiritual and emotional effort to rise high in the attainment of the Gashmius, than it takes to rise high in the attainment of the Ruchnius.
“Since I was very young I realized that the American Jewish community would eventually disappear. Now however I see clearly that the United States of America is disappearing right in front of our eyes. Soon there will be no United States of America, and the Yidden will have to find themselves a new home. I hope they decide on Eretz Yisroel, and hope they do it quickly, because if not well……. “
Then he asked me to sit down with him and say Tikkun Chatzos. Together we Davened and we cried, and we cried, and we cried. I closed my eyes so I could feel the Tza’ar HaShechina, (the pain of Hashem) and when I opened them my Zaidy was gone.
there goes Obama playing the RACE button again
buy gold now the collapse of american economy coming