Iron Dome missile defense
Gili Yaari /Flash 90
The White House is reportedly planning to accept Israeli demands for increased military aid, following pressure by the US Senate to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding laying out US support to Israel for the next decade.
With the current Memorandum of Understanding set to expire in 2018, Israel has been pressuring the White House to enlarge the annual aid package from $3.1 billion to between $4-4.5 billion.
Israel has stated that it must increase its military spending to cope with growing threats from ISIS and the Iranian regime following last year’s nuclear deal.
Since the signing of the deal last July, Iran has gone on a shopping spree for military hardware, purchasing Russian missiles, submarines, tanks, and fighter aircraft.
On Monday the Senate signed a joint letter calling on the White House to finalize a new Memorandum of Understanding, including a raise in the level of aid offered to Israel. The non-binding bipartisan declaration was adopted by 83 senators, including 51 of the Senate’s 54 Republicans and 32 Democrats.
In response to the letter, a White House official pledged that the new Memorandum of Understanding would include the largest military aid package ever offered to a foreign nation.
“We are prepared to sign an MOU with Israel that would constitute the largest single pledge of military assistance to any country in US history.”
Despite the pledge, the White House has yet to specify how much will be included in the proposed MOU.
With the current Memorandum of Understanding set to expire in 2018, Israel has been pressuring the White House to enlarge the annual aid package from $3.1 billion to between $4-4.5 billion.
Israel has stated that it must increase its military spending to cope with growing threats from ISIS and the Iranian regime following last year’s nuclear deal.
Since the signing of the deal last July, Iran has gone on a shopping spree for military hardware, purchasing Russian missiles, submarines, tanks, and fighter aircraft.
On Monday the Senate signed a joint letter calling on the White House to finalize a new Memorandum of Understanding, including a raise in the level of aid offered to Israel. The non-binding bipartisan declaration was adopted by 83 senators, including 51 of the Senate’s 54 Republicans and 32 Democrats.
In response to the letter, a White House official pledged that the new Memorandum of Understanding would include the largest military aid package ever offered to a foreign nation.
“We are prepared to sign an MOU with Israel that would constitute the largest single pledge of military assistance to any country in US history.”
Despite the pledge, the White House has yet to specify how much will be included in the proposed MOU.
