The colossal military aid package ‘reflects the enduring and unshakable commitment of the President, this Administration, and the American people to Israel's security’
A 2016 military aid package agreed upon between the U.S. and Israel went into force on Tuesday. The deal, signed under the Obama administration, will provide Israel with $38 billion in U.S. military financing from 2019 to 2028. It is the largest such aid package in U.S. history. The move also expands a stockpile of U.S. weapons kept in Israel.
“The United States will set funding for Israel at levels of $3.3 billion in Foreign Military Financing and $500 million for cooperative programs for missile defense over each of the next 10 years,” State Department Spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a written statement.
“Israel is a valuable and capable ally to the United States that today faces dangerously escalating regional threats, first and foremost from the Iranian regime's sponsorship of terrorist groups seeking to attack not only Israel but also American interests. The United States unconditionally affirms Israel's right to self-defense.”
The package “reflects the enduring and unshakable commitment of the President, this Administration, and the American people to Israel's security.”
The foreign military financing will enable Israel to advance its military capabilities with possible purchases of new long-range missile defense systems, ballistic missiles and warplanes.
The funding is enough for the purchase of almost 450 F-35 fighter jets, 9,000 tanks, various missiles and hundreds of thousands of arms and munitions. Washington’s move has been evaluated as a clear challenge for other regional powers such as Turkey.
The move has been evaluated as an effort to actualize the map in which Iraq and Syria’s underground resources provide maritime access through Israel.
“The U.S. is not cutting back on anything to sow the seeds of a Great Israel state. Both financially and militarily, the U.S. is strengthening Israel. Another aim of this financial aid is to make Israel be able to control the energy reserves of the Eastern Mediterranean,” an unnamed source said.
With its new financial resources, Israel will be able to fund subcontracted terrorist organizations more easily. There are also claims that the enormous funds will be provided by Saudi Arabia.
The U.S. unequivocally supports Israel’s attacks that target Russia and Iran in Syria. The funding package can also be viewed as a part of Israel’s agenda against Russia and Iran, who are gaining influence in the region. Israel was responsible for the downing of a Russian intelligence plane in Syria, and following this, Russia dispatched the S-300 missile system, demonstrating that Moscow would continue its activities in the region.
In late February, U.S. senators even called for an increase in the $38 billion in military aid. Senators Lindsey Graham, a leading Republican foreign policy figure, and Chris Coons, a Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that they considered the provision of $38 billion over 10 years, “a floor.”
According to data obtained from the U.S. Congress, the amount of aid sent to Israel to date is over $130 billion. In 2007, a two-year aid package agreement was signed between the two countries during George W. Bush's presidency. A total of $30 billion of this agreement covered the period between 2009 and 2018. Obama made another similar agreement with Israel in 2016, and signed a memorandum of understanding covering the years between 2019 and 2028.
