Politics
Democratic politician Abdul El-Sayed, who has been elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Michigan, has said that American citizens do not pay taxes so that their money can be used to finance the armed forces of other countries.
Washington: Democratic politician Abdul El-Sayed, who has been elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of Michigan, has said that American citizens do not pay taxes so that their money can be used to finance the armed forces of other countries. In expressing this position, he named Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan, stressing that the United States should focus on meeting the needs of its own people. In an interview with the U.S. broadcaster National Public Radio (NPR) on November 4, El-Sayed was asked about American military aid to Israel and President Donald Trump’s announcement concerning the assistance. In response, he said that U.S. funds should be spent at home rather than used to support foreign militaries.
During the interview, El-Sayed said that whether the country in question is Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan or Pakistan, he believes American taxpayers’ money should not be used to financially support foreign armed forces. Instead, he argued, these resources should be allocated to meeting public needs within the United States. He said that billions of dollars spent on weapons and military equipment for other countries could instead be used to improve schools, healthcare facilities and infrastructure. American citizens are facing problems such as inflation and rising medical costs, he noted, and government priorities should therefore focus on addressing these challenges.
During the interview, El-Sayed expressed support for President Trump’s proposed move to end annual U.S. military aid to Israel. He said the president was right on this particular policy. However, he also wants the United States to stop selling Israel weapons that, he alleges, are used in serious human rights violations. According to the Associated Press, Trump said on November 3 that the United States would end it’s approximately $4 billion in annual aid to Israel in 2027, although arms sales could continue. The current U.S.-Israel aid arrangement runs through 2028, making the practical and legal details of implementing the announcement important.
El-Sayed expressed support for peace, dignity, equal rights and self-determination for both Palestinians and Israeli Jews. He said the United States should apply the same principles of international law and accountability to Israel that it applies to other countries. He also referred to serious allegations of war crimes and genocide against Israel while criticising U.S. government policy. These allegations form part of El-Sayed’s political position and are not being presented here as findings of a final court judgment.
A statement attributed to El-Sayed is circulating on social media, claiming that Pakistan, Israel and Egypt should have their financial assistance cut off because all three countries have violated international law. However, in the original NPR interview available to the public, he did not make any such specific allegation against Pakistan. Pakistan was mentioned during his broader criticism of U.S. policy on military assistance to foreign countries. Therefore, it would be inaccurate to present his remarks as an accusation that Pakistan had committed a specific violation of international law. Similarly, the subject of his comments was U.S. financial and military support for foreign armed forces, rather than general humanitarian assistance.
The 42-year-old Abdul El-Sayed is a former public health official. He defeated Republican candidate Mike Rogers in Michigan’s Senate election, becoming the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Senate. His election campaign focused on issues including reducing inflation, expanding access to healthcare and limiting the financial influence of major corporations in politics. During the campaign, U.S. aid to Israel and his Muslim identity also became subjects of political debate. Following his electoral victory, El-Sayed said he would make the economic difficulties facing American citizens, along with basic needs such as healthcare and education, among his top priorities.
