Counterterrorism spending starves money for human needs other than immediate physical safety

   This letter by Donald Bliss about solving the root causes of terrorism stated 

In his April 24 op-ed, “The work we aren’t doing to stop terrorism,” David Ignatius cited the horrific Sri Lanka bombings as evidence that the demise of the Islamic State’s geographical caliphate has not ended international terrorism, which is metastasizing in fragile states where people feel excluded and oppressed. 


    Palestine has been a fragile community where individuals have sought self-determination in the form of statehood.  Self-determination has been sought since Jewish zionists with support from Christian zionists, mostly from Europe with refugee migration of Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews after the 1948 war, repeatedly established 'facts on the ground' by means of land purchases from Palestinian Arab sellers.  


   Palestinian land sellers, before 1948 and after 1967, were already under duress of limits on their freedom of movement of their persons, goods and services for peaceful trade.  Between 1948 and 1967, Palestinians had more freedom of movement under occupation by Jordan, Egypt and Syria than under Israeli occupation after 1967.  
The chaos inherent in the 'fog of war(s)' and later seemingly endless scholarly, political and popular discourse battles of individuals trying to 'make sense of' the wars, also established, and maintained, a demographic majority turnover from Muslim and Christian to Jewish.  


   Redirect the trillions more dollars planned for counterterrorism spending, after spending $2.8 trillion since 2002, to create communities coexisting with class, racial, economic, religious and gender equity and civil legal equality where people live. 

   According to a source linked to in the letter by Mr. Bliss

 Mr. Ignatius cited a recent bipartisan report, “Preventing Extremism in Fragile States: A New Approach,” which concludes that despite the $5.9 trillion in counterterrorism expenditures, the United States has failed to focus effectively on terrorism’s root causes.

counterterrorism spending was $5.9 trillion even higher than $2.8 trillion reported in 2018 or 2011.


  Reprogramming future spending plans that add to the $2.8 trillion to $5.9 trillion dollars already spent will better prevent forced migration and violence when people feel disenfranchised and oppressed.  The potential for hate crimes and violence increases as community marginalization passes 'tipping points' in individual violent behavior choices.  Counterterrorism spending has even resulted from the consequences of repeated bad policy choices whom states choose as allies.  More spending is necessary to reinforce originally bad policy choices as a feedback loop or self-perpetuating cycle.    
  
 

   Goal 16 suggested by Mr. Donald Bliss
  
which seeks to mobilize governments, civil society and the private sector “to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.” This is not pie-in-the sky. Specific targets are set and metrics established to measure progress.


of the UN Sustainable Development goals should be implemented to build a peace all people of good will wish to create in states in the Middle East/Levant rather than being limited to the member states of the African Union.