The deal, whose details were reported by Reuters earlier, will allow Washington’s chief Middle East ally to upgrade most of its fighter aircraft, improve its ground forces’ mobility and strengthen its missile defence systems, a senior USA official said.
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The US and Israel on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding under which the Jewish state will receive $38 billion worth of military aid over the next 10 years.
-A phasing-out of a special arrangement that for decades has allowed Israel to use 26.3 percent of the USA aid on its own defence industry instead of on American-made weapons. The payouts according to deal will begin in year 2019 and United States will fund $3.8 billion every year. “It demonstrates America’s strong and unwavering commitment to Israel”.
“We believe that this assistance is not only a critical investment in Israel’s security but also an investment in regional stability and…for the United States and its citizens”, he added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had signalled he might wait for Mr Obama’s successor in the hope of securing a better deal.
She said the prolonged negotiations over the military aid package had been a product of separate disagreements over how much funding Israel needed and how the money should be used.
Israel is the largest recipient of American military aid in the world, and the MOU is the largest military aid package the US has ever given.
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“This agreement will provide Israel with the means to defend itself by itself -maintaining its qualitative military edge, serving as a deterrent to regional adversaries, and funding missile defense capabilities to counter rocket attacks”.
But senior administration officials told Haaretz that in the event of an emergency, such as a war, the United States would be prepared to consider increasing the budget for missile defense systems beyond what is promised in the agreement, as it has done in the past.
The agreement also phases out an earlier stipulation that Israel may spend 26% of the USA aid money on Israeli-made defense systems.
U.S. and Israeli officials said it would be signed today in the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington.
They disclosed that the package included Israel’s promise not to seek additional funds from Congress beyond what would be guaranteed annually in the new package.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a critic of the memorandum of understanding between the two allies, called it important but slammed a provision that would limit Israel from seeking additional US funds except in times of war.
The new agreement eliminates Israel’s ability to spend a fraction of the funds on fuel for its military.
The new deal came after months of negotiations between the United States and Israel, which have been at odds over the Iran nuclear deal. Earlier the agreement was of $31 billion over 10 years according to which U.S. is giving $3.1 billion every year and this deal will expire in 2018 and then today’s signed deal will come in action.
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“We’re nearly the same as where we are right now”, said Jonathan Schanzer, former U.S. counter-terrorism analyst and vice-president of Washington think tank the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
