Actually it can be dumber than that.
Back when the Israelis gave up the Sinai Peninsula, as they left they blew up any buildings they had built. We paid them for the loss of the buildings. Then we paid the Palestinians because the buildings that would have gone to them were blown up.
Everybody in the Mideast is playing us like a fiddle and we are too busy buying the propaganda to pay attention.
Right this moment, as we destroy the future of our children by borrowing trillions that can not be paid back, we are throwing away billions and billions to all of them. Israel, Egypt, Palestinians, they all get money we borrowed with interest. There is nobody in DC to say that we ran out of money and they have to make do without the freebies for a while. We have to cut off even our children from the free money, eventually, but we cannot cut off the Mideast. We have to keep paying for ever as if we are a conquered nation paying tribute to the conquerors. With borrowed money from the Chinese.
So to make up for it, lets cut Veterans benefits in the US.
Makes sense to me.