President Obama with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel last year. Credit Doug Mills/The New York Times
Defense News: Israel Balks at Obama’s New 10-Year Aid Offer
TEL AVIV — Israeli industry is bracing for lost funding and layoffs as a result of a proposed $38 billion, 10-year US military aid package that rescinds Israel’s ability to convert a significant portion of US grant dollars into shekels for local research, development and procurement.
While Israel still hopes to prevail upon the White House to bump its top line closer to $40 billion over 10 years, government and industry sources hold little hope of US President Barack Obama's administration wavering on Buy America demands. The proposed deal aims to follow the current $30 billion memorandum of understanding inked by both countries in 2007, which expires October 2017.
In interviews, those sources say Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pretty much resigned himself to a new paradigm whereby all of Israel’s grant aid — with the exception of funds appropriated for missile defense and pre-agreed upon programs — will eventually be spent in the United States.
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WNU Editor: All good things come to an end .... and for Israel .... what is coming to an aid is the "no-strings" attachment to the aid that they have received from the U.S. for the past few decades.
9 comments:
I don't have anything against Israel but why we have to give them money?.
How dare the Israelis try to negotiate on free military aid. 38 Billion dollars over 10 years could improve the standards of education in the States. Sounds like a better deal for everyone involved to me.
'Cause it's the only way Senator's and Representatives stay elected.
The US has been Israel's "little bitch" for a long time now, since 1974.
"
The statements are the first to surface from a source closely linked to the Bush administration acknowledging that the war, which has so far cost the lives of nearly 600 US troops and thousands of Iraqis, was motivated by Washington's desire to defend the Jewish state.
The administration, which is surrounded by staunch pro-Israel, neo-conservative hawks, is currently fighting an extensive campaign to ward off accusations that it derailed the "war on terrorism" it launched after September 11 by taking a detour to Iraq, which appears to have posed no direct threat to the US. "
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FC31Aa01.html
Warning.
Incoming paid Israel lobbyist post....
It's amazing the audacity and hubris of Isreal. Your given free military hardware from the US, state of the art, probably that which most countries in the world are prohibited from getting from us, and you have the balls to demand terms. Tens of billions. The fact that they want to divert some of it to thier defense industry, which compete with American defense industry that employs thousands of Americans, is outrageous. Think of what ever argument you want to support that position, but jobs are jobs. We should be reducing the "hand out" a dollar for each dollar the Israeli government spends on settlement expansion in occupied territories. I know Isreal hates that term, but a duck is a duck, and I'm an Israeli backer.
While the pettiness of the Obama Administration and the US government in general knows no bounds, this action is unfortunately hardly surprising. Israel is the primary buffer between America and Islamic terrorism. If Israel is weakened, it becomes much more difficult and much more costly to defend America.
Israeli firms are much better at the research and development than their counterparts in America are. Furthermore any advancements are going to be shared with America which is a win for America. Additionally Israeli firms can design weapons and weapon systems to their unique needs in such a way that America would never be able to do and as Israel is strengthened this makes it less problematic to defend America.
By limiting the amount of the aid that can be spent in Israel both the security of Israel and America are undermined. It makes little sense for Israel to spend more money on an inferior made in USA product that may not even address their needs as well as the Israeli made one can. It makes little sense for America to undermine its own security by trying to force Israel to spend more on inferior products either. Again, the pettiness of the US government knows no bounds.
I'd suggest the following compromise if team Obama is willing. 1.) Reduce the amount of gross overall aid to Israel from the proposed 38 billion to 25 billion. clearly the US is broke and cannot afford the level of foreign aid that it currently pays. This saves the US and the taxpayers money. 2.)Double the previous percentage that Israel was allowed to spend on defense systems made in Israel so that Israel is allowed to spend more gross dollars on weapon systems made in Israel. This would greatly help Israeli defense as they are now able to devote precious resources to areas provided by Israeli firms that will yield better fruit than those provided by American firms could, greatly help American defense as a vital buffer between us and our enemies is strengthened, and it saves the United States money.
Win/win all the way around. Of course team Obama and the American government are likely to petty and coupled with unhealthy levels of ideological blindness probably will not go along with this as it is much more fun to try and hurt Israel than it is to act in a manner consistent with America's defense needs.
Fortunately under President Trump all foreign agreements will be subject to renegotiation and we can look forward to some pragmatic sanity. The agreements with Israel will likely be no different. Another option for Israel would be to forego American "aid" entirely. While the money is helpful, the conditions that have always been placed on it mean it often has negative utility for Israel's defense needs. In time, without the encumbrances placed upon by the conditions of American foreign aid Israel will be far better able to defend itself which will strengthen this vital buffer between us and implacable enemies which will enhance American national security as well.
Looking forward to Israel aid from the U.S. to be cut. This will complete the Obama destabilization of Israel defense capabilities and usher in the use of nukes. A victory for U.S. taxpayers and jobs.
My guess is that paid Israel lobbyists do not even know this blog exists.
It's Election Seasoni the US, so the 1,18,658 AIPAC Lobbyists are too busy with Senator's and Rep's to bother with a blog,
And the hasbara crew are too busy with BDS and Brexit.
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