Israel Is a Parasite

Under The Law of Return, an Israeli law passed on July 5, 1950, Jews, people with one or more Jewish grandparents, and their spouses are granted the right to relocate to Israel, acquire Israeli citizenship, and settle on Palestinian land. This policy has enabled the establishment and expansion of settlements widely regarded as illegal under international law.

Settlements and U.S. Taxpayer Funding

Americans should know that there are approximately 900,000 Jewish settlers living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, many of whom relocated from Gaza settlements after Palestinians liberated Gaza in 2005.

According to critics, these settlers do not contribute economically and instead live off Israeli government funding, which includes free housing, free healthcare, and other benefits-much of it indirectly supported by U.S. tax dollars. From this perspective, Israel functions as a parasite, defined as an entity that survives by exploiting others while giving nothing in return.

This stands in contrast to rhetoric used by U.S. leaders, including former President Donald Trump, who accused Somali Americans of being parasites and ungrateful citizens.

Espionage and Stolen U.S. Technology

Israel's technology sector has also been accused of benefiting from stolen U.S. industrial and military secrets obtained through espionage networks.

One of the most well-known cases is Jonathan Pollard, a U.S. Navy intelligence analyst who sold classified information to Israel in 1984, including sensitive NSA materials detailing U.S. signals intelligence methods. Arrested in 1985, Pollard was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Upon his release, he relocated to Israel, where he received a hero's welcome.

Israel has also been accused of selling or trading U.S. secrets to adversaries in exchange for political or demographic gains, including facilitating Jewish immigration from Russia.

The Law of Return vs. Palestinian Refugees

Under the Law of Return, any Jew worldwide-even with no historical roots in the Middle East-can move to Israel, receive government assistance, free healthcare, and free education, and settle on land taken from Palestinians.

Meanwhile, Palestinian refugees expelled in 1948 continue to be denied the right to return to their homes.

Religious Schools and Educational Deficiencies

To understand the lives of many settlers, one must examine Israel's religious school system, particularly the Hesder schools.

In 2010, Yediot Ahronot, Israel's largest newspaper, conducted a survey assessing the general education level of religious schoolteachers. The results were alarming.

One teacher described his school as follows:

"We do not teach math, science, English, history, or literature. After morning prayer, we teach the Torah only."

Despite this, Israel spends approximately $7 million annually on these schools. The government reportedly receives fraudulent progress reports in return.

The survey asked teachers the following questions:

1. What continent is Israel in?
2. Who was Napoleon Bonaparte?
3. What is the square root of 81?
4. Finish the national anthem.
5. What does the English word Saturday mean?

Many respondents failed to complete the national anthem. Some said they did not know and did not wish to know. Others asked whether it was a verse from the Talmud.

Responses included:

• Napoleon identified as a Russian emperor or a chief of staff
• 65% unable to define "Saturday"
• Many stating Israel is located in Europe

After reading about the survey, I posed the same five questions to my then 7-year-old son, Adam. He answered all correctly except the national anthem-something I found far less troubling than the survey results themselves.

Double Standards: Madrasahs vs. Hesder Schools

The word Madrasah simply means "school" in Arabic, whether secular or religious. Yet madrasahs in Pakistan and elsewhere have been repeatedly bombed by U.S. and Pakistani forces and portrayed by Western media as terrorist training camps.

Yaakov Fauci, the New Yorker who stole a Palestinian house in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem.

"If I Don't Steal Your House Someone Else Will. The video that went viral.

Hesder schools, despite severe educational deficiencies, receive funding, immunity, and little media scrutiny.

U.S. Aid and Christian Zionism

These schools and settlements are funded indirectly by U.S. taxpayers through the $3.8 billion annual U.S. aid package to Israel.

Among Israel's strongest supporters are right-wing Christian Zionist groups such as Christians United for Israel (CUFI). British journalist Lauren Booth once described members of this movement as people "who could not find their cities on the map of their own state."

CUFI founder John Hagee has remained silent on the frequent harassment and spitting incidents directed at Christians by Israeli settlers.

Why Israel Is Called a Parasite

When asked why Israel is described this way, critics argue the answer is simple:

Israel was established in 1948 on stolen Palestinian land, following the destruction of hundreds of towns and villages, deliberately erased to prevent the return of their native inhabitants. The state continues to rely heavily on U.S. financial aid, military protection, and Western political backing to sustain itself.

Mahmoud El-Yousseph is a Palestinian freelance writer and retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He writes on U.S. foreign policy, Middle East affairs, and justice. [email protected]