Posted on 12/22/2010 7:11:33 PM PST by Nachum
Aid will be reevaluated in three months when current measure expires; budget does not include promised funding for Iron Dome missile defense project.
WASHINGTON – US President Barack Obama signed a stop-gap budget measure Wednesday for the next three months, that does not include hundreds of millions of dollars for Israeli defense that he pledged earlier in the year.
The bill does not provide $205 million in what would have been first-time American funds for the short-range Iron Dome missile defense project, nor does it contain the increases in medium- and long-range missile defense for 2011 approved earlier in the year by the House of Representatives.
In addition, the bill keeps general military aid for Israel at the same level as 2010 – as it does for almost all other funding – even though it was supposed to increase from $2.775 billion to $3b., according to a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the US and Israel.
Once this temporary measure – passed to keep the government from shutting down – expires in March, Congress will have a chance to restore that funding. The White House indicated it would push for its commitments to Israel to be filled at that time.
“The administration will continue to work with the Congress to enact the president’s FY 2011 request going forward, including full support for requested assistance programs for Israel,” a senior administration official told The Jerusalem Post.
(Excerpt) Read more at jpost.com ...
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$3 billion in aid to a developed nation? I realize Israel’s importance but I’m positive they don’t need so much money.
My understanding is that Israel turns around and uses 75% of those funds to buy U.S. military gear. Buy-back arrangement.
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