Israel
requests changes to US military aid
US to boost aid from $24 to $30 billion over next 10 years.
Washington now considering request to add regular annual sum
instead of current additional 4%
By Zvi Lavi 08.08.07, / Israel Money
"Ynetnews"
--- - The United States is considering Israel's request
to redistribute the increased military aid agreed on between
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and US President George W. Bush.
US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns who
was scheduled to arrive in Israel to sign off on the new
deal has postponed his visit until after Washington
officials have reviewed the Israeli proposal.
Following the Camp David Accords Israel began receiving an
annual budget of $3 billion from the US, including $1.8 in
military aid and $1.2 in civilian aid.
According to the agreement between Olmert and Bush US
military aid would grow annually by four percent – over a
period of ten years, bringing the total sum to $30 billion
from the current $24 billion.
However due to changes in security needs Israel has
requested an unchanging yearly addition to the budget over
that same time period (so that instead of a $105 million
addition the first year, it would already be the fixed $600
million).
Washington asked for time to review the new math and sources
within Olmert's office stressed that the only issue on the
line was the requested deviation from the original agreement
and not a complete withdrawal from it.
During former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's tenure in
the mid-90's Israel worked towards decreasing foreign aid
and an agreement was made to gradually lower civilian aid by
$120 million over a 10-year period until its complete
abolition and correspondingly increase military aid by $60
million.
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