Forecasters Foresee Increase in US Aid to Israel

Jacob Miller — June 18, 2013 – 11:26 am | Barack Obama | Israel | Military Comments (0) Add a comment

During President Obama’s trip to Israel in March he announced his strong support for a new agreement extending American military aid to Israel through 2027. The current agreement signed in 2007, a $30 billion 10-year agreement that increased the annual support from $2.4 billion to $3.1 billion, will expire in 2018.

Following President Obama’s announcement in Israel, negotiations have begun and officials believe that the new agreement will exceed the current $3.1 billion per year Israel receives. Stuart Eizenstat who negotiated an aid package under President Bill Clinton emphasize the importance of the importance of the aid, and recognize how this aid receives bipartisan support:

“Support for Israel in the United States is astonishing. There’s no other foreign country favored in terms of assistance; and this support is bipartisan, bicameral and largely protected by sequestration”

Former House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Representative Howard Berman (D-CA) echoed that support in Congress is strong:

“From the inside of the [appropriations] process, I can tell you the special and strong relationship with Israel is enduring ... It is not linked to any particular issue”

Comments

There are no comments for this entry