We never know when they decide to stop delivering some another critical supply. Isarel could survive without those 3 billion, and part of them will be recovered by removing restriction on military export. Boost to economy by trurning IDF orders to Israel industry would compensate losses even more. Whatever Israel can not produce she will be able to buy cheaper. And relation with US may be even improved, with decrease of US direct spending, and Israel getting some dignity.

the U.S. is talking in 2 heads,one is bush and cheny that want a strong win on radical Islam,and from the other side the state department which is pro-arab that does not want Israel to win!! so which one should we listen to???

Why can't Israel manufacture its own weapons instead of depending too much on the US. The US State Departments are run by clueless career diplomats, the same sorts of goons who control the useless UN. Israel can have its own tanks, how difficult is it to make bombs?

To hear that from an Arab. Do you Arabs really care what kind of wepans YOU use or against whom?

Mini, listen to ME.... leave palestine if u are real jew ,its arab land. killing kids and destroying bridge is the same things what hitlar can do if he still alive, rememebr we hate him and zionest too :)

israel sould use ever weapon it has to protect its people. Let that bunch of political correct state dept. Bunch know that Israel has every right to use ever weapon at it disposal to protect its people. The State Dept live in the land Of OZ. And they did not have to hide in Bomb Shealter like a million or more Jewish people had to do. So do this one favor for me and many people in our country. Tell the State Dept to kiss off. Double standards is what the Us state dept is all about. All about this Sorry bunch complaing that Israel may have used the cluster bomb so what. The US state dept should Complain to the world court That Hizbullla commited war crimes against the civilan population of Israel. I know the chance of that happening are slim to none. The State Dept is a government with a government it seem to me. Israel does not need the premission to do what ever it takes to defend Israel. And if the State Dept does not understand that. They well the next time the IDF has to go back in to lebanon.

While the comments here are correct in that Israel should be self sufficient in weapon production, this is eaiser said than done. I doubt that Israel has either the knowhow, facilites, or money to accomplish it. Years of development go into making these types of weapons. If this approach had been implemented 20 years ago, maybe today Israel would be in that independant condition. Under todays stress and budget demands my guess is that not even a good start could be achieved. Nope, not in the cards now.

This is all smoke and mirrors. America supports Israel not Arab terrorists like yourself.

What makes it acceptable for the U.S. to use cluster bombs in civilian areas and wrong for Israel? What makes it acceptable for the U.S. to bomb a civilian residential area from the air, using 2 thousand pound bombs, on the off-chance that a wanted person MIGHT be present? What makes it acceptable for the U.S. to obliterate whole villages based upon unreliable, third-party "intelligence" that enemy fighters MIGHT be hiding there? What makes it wrong for Israel to use cluster bombs in an existential war in which her cities and towns are under constant attack?

You wanna be a Mafioso or a gang member, talk to either Palermo or Mexico; The US won't be Your Pedrino.

super power. Do not forget that Role of Britain in establishing your country, and the current U.S. cover at international conferences and the unlimited technological cooperation and spying on U.S. companies.

If the current leadership at the NYT had been at their desks in 1942, Roosevelt would have had them in chains. You do not give up secret agreements with your allies during a war dumb s..ts

Clusters cause munitions hidden underground to explode. They clear areas for the saftey of incoming troops. Funny how the State Dept is concerned about a weapon used extensively in Viet Nam but has qualms against its use against military targets when Israel uses them. Double standard State bull raw.

Its terrible that Israel has to justify everything they do to comply with someones regulations. If america was under attack you think they would have to justify the use of bombs to the UK? Anyways lets all say a prayer that israel will no longer need to rely on weapons and will soon be in peace. He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea. May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor. May He lead our enemies under our soldiers' sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you. Now let us respond: Amen.

it happens that bombs are used for bombing. Wow ! Army is using it after they sold to Israeli state, amazing !... What the hell do they expect? Maybe they will decide to send us flowers. So that we will bring and offer them to hezb fighters... We will get kisses from them in return ?? What the hell do they smoke? When americans will investigate about their bombings in Afghanistan and Iraq, and only after doing so, they will have the right to criticize Israel. By the way, we are using the same materials and same bombs. Could one of them explain WHY they always kill more innocent civilians than israelis do ??? Hypocrits !!

Clusterbombs in answer to anti-personnel cluster-katyushas with 40 kilos of ballbearings. Where is the problem?

AGAINST ISRAEL. ISRAEL IS FIGHTING HIZBULLAH--AN IRANIAN FUNDED AND CONTROLLED TERROR GROUP DEDICATED TO KILLING ISRAELI JEWS. PERHAPS THERE ARE SOME CLUELESS IDIOTS IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WHO DO NOT REALIZE SUCH TERRORISTS HAVE AMERICA IN THEIR SIGHTS TOO. EVERY ISLAMIC FASCIST THE ISRAELIS KILL IS ONE LESS THAT AMERICA WILL HAVE TO TAKE OUT.

If cluster bombs are OK with israelis then why in the hell they are complaing about hizballah katushas using the same technology? Our cluster bombs are safer then theirs? Is this the logic? Argument that they are targeting civilians and IDF targeting militants does not work as Hizballah can say the same thing and it just their Katushas are going a bit astray.

the greatest weapons in the world are israeli such as: The Uzi The Desert Eagle pistol The IMI Galil assault rifle The Tavor assault rifle The IMI Negev machine gun The Merkava tank The Magach tank The IDF Achzarit APC/AFV The Caterpillar D9 ("Dubi") tractor The Python missile The Durby missle The Popeye missle The Tactical High Energy Laser The Arrow missile The Shavit rocket The Ofeq reconnaissance satellite The Jericho medium-range ballistic missile...

90% of the missiles and bombs Israel uses are israeli made or the blueprints and all the "knowhow" as you said is Israeli. Israel would have been an Independent AirCraft maker with her Lavi that defeated all the F-16, F-15, F-14 easly but was canceled after 4 were make because the US demended us to stop it, so they we won't sell it and take "their" money. All of our Air 2 Air missiles are Israeli and the US uses them - they are knowen as the best in the world ! They are called Python. The israeli navi posseses the best ship in the world, that is knownen to be unharmable. No missile, rocket, torpedo, gun can hit her. She is knownen to have a "Protection Bubble" that the Israeli "Barak" missiles grants her with the best RADAR and technology in the world. The F-16 that Israel buy from the US are broken to parts when they arrive to Israel and rebuild with Israeli made technology, bombs and shell. Basicly, it's an Israeli aircraft. Tanks ? all made by israel, SAM missiles, Israel. The best anti balistic missile in the world ? Yeah, Israeli... It's called Arrow 2. Should I continue ? cause I can go on... Israel needes the US because the US is the most powerful nation in the world (and bite me if you don't agree). But the US needes israel, and maybe even more than we need her. We are the US FrontLine in the middle-east and we are a Shield for the US. We do the darty job, we are the Western power in the middle of the Anti-Western nations.

USA is only using Israel, for its own purpose.the loss of Israeli life in the recent conflict had highlighted this as Israel needed more time to complete its operation but was denied by the USA. I feel as many muslims feel that Israel has a right to excist, without external danger but as a muslims we feel this for other member communities such as the Palistinians. Most Israeli want this as well. Looks it clear cut, you must give these ppl their rights and all Muslims goverments will embrace you.We need a safe, secure middle east please be just so we can see this happen in our life time

The people of Israel have been surviving for more than three thousand years my dear...in the land now called Israel....don`t ever forget that.

NYT: (The report said American munitions found included 559 M-42’s, an anti-personnel bomblet used in 105-millimeter artillery shells; 663 M-77’s, a submunition found in M-26 rockets; and 5 BLU-63’s, a bomblet found in the CBU-26 cluster bomb. Also found were 608 M-85’s, an Israeli-made submunition.). The USA has to punish Israel for its use of the US-made munitions- according to terms of delivery- for using in populated areas, or when civilian casualties is anticipated even on the long run and for use in non-self defense attacks which the USA is about to admit. Israeli-made munitions would receive more condemnations because of the lower precision and the high rate of initial failure. Israel ambassador to Moscow denies banned cluster munitions used in Lebanon attack. Twisting words is very obvious as banning depends on the use in populated areas; so by definition there is nothing called banned cluster munitions; it is just a diplomatic way of escaping when condemned. The initially failed-to-explode live submunition which exceeds 14 % ; in site mounted up to 267, will act as landmines. According to the UNSCR 1701, maps should be provided by Israel in addition to the other maps for the Israeli-made old mine fields already speedy handed maps to cover the new crime. http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/08/17/lebano14026.htm http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article5561.shtml http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/ae5fc490ce03a65ff86e85587c61772e.htm

dont u think if Abraham(PBUH) is blessed so is his seed, the muslims/ Arabs. as we feel God is with us. Dont u think has God has made us, he wants us to love and respect each other. this is what our parents should be teaching us, not war

The less Israel is dependent on others ,the most it will be strengthened ,and it will return to its authentic and original Will. The price to be payed for those 3 bilions is the price for the destruction of Israel's integrity. Good relations with other countries can be built in other level than that of dependence and ugly obedience. I agree with you.

as much as it is choking the israeli economy to pour all that money into us arms, what other choice does she have? the entire world seems to wish israel could be wiped off the map, believes so many problems would be solved if israel ceased to exist. can israel really afford to piss off the one friend she has? even if that friend isn't the best, it's still the best israel has got. sickening, but true.