US Congress approves Israel aid increase
AFP
Published: Friday June 27, 2008
The US Congress has approved a 170 million dollar increase in security
assistance to Israel as
part of its new 10-year, 30 billion dollar defense aid commitment to the
Jewish state.
The money for Israel was part of a larger supplemental spending bill that
included 162 billion
dollars for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The legislation gained final
approval in a 92-6
Senate vote late Thursday.
America's pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee,
welcomed the
congressional action, saying it would increase US aid to Israel to 2.55
billion dollars in
fiscal year 2009, up from 2.38 billion dollars this year.
"The US commitment to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge is
the cornerstone of
American policy in the region," AIPAC said in a statement Friday.
"This year's package holds heightened significance for US security
interests, as the US and
Israel face new challenges from Iran's drive to acquire nuclear weapons as
well as the growing
influence of radical anti-western forces to Israel's south in Gaza and to
the north in Lebanon."
The package was unveiled by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on July 30
as part of a new
military pact with US allies in the Middle East in a bid to "counter the
negative influences"
of militant groups Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah as well as arch enemies Iran and
Syria.
The aid includes a 20 billion dollar weapons package for Saudi Arabia, a
13 billion dollar
package for Egypt, and re****tedly arms deals worth at least 20 billion
dollars for other Gulf
states.
The military aid to Israel reflected an increase in value of more than 25
percent, Israel Prime
Minister Ehud Olmert has said, describing the package as a considerable
improvement and very
im****tant element for national security.
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