The United States and Israel have agreed on a record $38 billion package of U.S. military aid and will sign the new pact on Wednesday, enshrining defense funding for Washington’s closest Middle East ally for the next decade, officials said.
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The United States recently revealed a military aid deal with Israel to grant Israel $38 billion over 10 years.
“The United States has concluded a new 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Israel on security assistance for Fiscal Years 2019 through 2028”.
“Today, we’re making another unprecedented commitment to the security of Israel and the Israeli people”, National Security Adviser and ambassador Susan Rice said in a statement.
It’s important to remember that this aid largely benefits the USA defense industry and the Israeli occupation, but not the average Israeli. “Israel has no greater, nor more important, ally than the United States of America”, said Ambassador Danny Danon.
She said the deal would “provide Israel the funding to update much of its fighter aircraft fleet, substantially enhance the mobility of its ground forces, and continue to strengthen its missile defense capabilities”. Also, the money must be used to buy US -made weapons instead of spending it to further develop its own defense industry.
The US and Israel have agreed on a record $38bn (£29bn) military aid package.
The deal will represent the biggest pledge of U.S. military assistance made to any country but also involves major concessions granted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to officials on both sides and USA congressional aides.
In a televised statement from his office in Jerusalem, Mr Netanyahu said he is grateful to the Obama administration for supporting Israel’s security needs.
After last year’s historic Iran nuclear deal, reports surfaced that President Obamaoffered Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a new and improved package of military aid. Instead, the money must be spent on equipment manufactured by the USA defence industry. But despite attention to the topic throughout his two terms as president, he was unable to cinch a deal in the Camp David negotiations in 2000.
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. Congress routinely appropriates a couple hundred million dollars every year to Israel on top of the previous aid agreement.
The Washington Post reported Sunday that the dispute centered on disagreement about funds for Israeli missile defense.
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“Strategic cooperation between the US and Israel has always been a critical component of the US-Israel relationship built solidly on shared interests and values”, Harris added.
