Jerusalem – The United States will continue providing Israel with defense aid after a current package worth some $3 billion a year expires in 2017, and the grants are unlikely to wane despite Washington belt-tightening, two U.S. senators said on Thursday.
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Kelly Ayotte and Joe Donnelly, who are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, visited Israel to confer on security issues like missile defense, on which the allies have partnered.
The previous U.S. administration signed a 10-year deal with Israel in 2007 granting it $30 billion, most of which must be spent on American defense products.
Talks on a new package were already under way, said Ayotte, a New Hampshire Republican.
“Obviously the final negotiations have not been worked out but I do not expect that our commitment and work with Israel will diminish,” she told Reuters.
Politically popular U.S. aid to close ally Israel has held steady despite cuts to a wide range of other programs, including reducing the size of the U.S. army to its lowest level since before World War Two and shrinking spending in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
Donnelly, a Democrat from Indiana, noted Israel’s rare stability in a turbulent Middle East.
“I think there is understanding among the people across our country about the value of the relationship with Israel, not only just personal and friendship-wise, but also the importance of having Israel as an ally in this region,” he said.
“And so I think that the people of our country feel that every dollar spent on this is worth it, is well spent.”
Makes no sense
Its worth every penny, plus some.
The fact is, America needs Israel, more than Israel needs America (or its money). If Israel did not exist, America would need to spend an additional 50 Billion dollars on military installations to replace Israel’s presence. (Just think of the aircraft carriers America spends on to project it’s power around the globe. They cost billions to create and maintain. Israel is like America having a “super-supercarrier” in the region.)That is why, no matter how much Obama doesn’t like or support Israel, he will not decrease the money America sends Israel. It is in America’s best interest that Israel invent and install high tech weaponry to keep all the murderous terrorists in check. Think of the problems America has with India and Pakistan with taking out terrorist with drones. Those countries aren’t really cooperating and America cannot do anything about it. (Besides for the fact that America promised Israel billions in aid if they gave back the Sinai. America actually owes it. It is not a present).