The United States of America has signed a 38-billion dollar military assistance package with Israel over the next decade. “Israel’s safety and security is a top foreign and national security priority for the U.S. Now that the MoU has been finalized, it is important for Congress to conduct its oversight authority and examine the MoU closely in order to ensure that this agreement is mutually beneficial and meets the needs of both the U.S. and Israel”.
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US President Barack Obama (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hold a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC.
The 10-year deal was signed as planned by Israel’s national security advisor and a senior United States diplomat on Wednesday.
The current agreement, which expires at the end of 2018, totaled $3 billion annually before additional US Congress allocations.
According to the memorandum, Israel will receive almost $4 billion per year for the next decade.
The $38-bilion aid will allow Israel, America’s main ally in the Middle East, to upgrade its defences with new fleet of fighter aircraft, a more agile ground force and a stronger missile shield, senior United States officials said.
Obama issued a statement following the signing ceremony characterizing it as “the most recent reflection of my steadfast commitment to the security” of Israel.
They noted that the new deal would phase out a special arrangement that had allowed Israel to spend part of its USA aid on its own defence industry instead of on American-made weapons.
Nevertheless, the alliance – “iron-clad” in the words of US National Security Advisor Susan Rice – remains, despite or perhaps even in part because of Obama’s need to prove his feud with Netanyahu has no strategic effect. “The vital assistance provided by the MOU will reinforce that bilateral cooperation, and assure Israel’s qualitative military edge against very clear threats to both Israel and the U.S. in the most volatile region of the world”. Among other restrictions, the deal also stops Israel from spending a fraction of the fund on fuel for its military, reported AP. “Everyone can see and feel the special relationship between our countries and our people”.
“Israel’s security threats are only growing more complex, and there is no greater time for the United States to reaffirm our commitment to Israel’s security”, said Deutch.
During the nine months of intense negotiations that led to the conclusion of the military aid agreement, Netanyahu’s aides were concerned that completing the deal might embolden Obama to go ahead with such a move, which the prime minister strongly opposes.
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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”.
