Finalization of $38 Billion Military Aid from the U.S. to Israel

The U.S. State Department has announced that officials from Washington and Tel Aviv have reached an agreement on a $38 billion military aid package to Israel over the next 10 years, with a signing ceremony scheduled for Wednesday. According to the Associated Press, this amount represents the largest military aid from the U.S. to another country. After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations between officials from both countries, the U.S. State Department announced on Tuesday that the two countries have agreed on the terms of this 10-year aid. The Associated Press reports that while the final figure of this aid has not been specified by the U.S. and Israel, officials involved in the negotiations state that under this 10-year aid, Israel is set to receive $3.8 billion in military assistance annually. Previously, under a 10-year contract, the U.S. provided Israel with $3.1 billion annually. Susan Rice, national security advisor under Barack Obama, is expected to attend the signing ceremony at the U.S. State Department. Jacob Nagel, acting national security advisor for Israel, is also reported to have arrived in Washington for the event. The Israeli government has yet to respond to news regarding this military aid. According to the agreement, Israel will gradually lose the ability to use part of this aid for purchasing Israeli equipment and will ultimately have to spend all of this aid on military equipment from the U.S. The Associated Press notes that one of the contentious issues between the U.S. and Israel was how this aid would be spent. The new agreement does not allow any part of this aid to be used for purchasing fuel for Israeli military equipment. For this agreement to be finalized, it must be voted on in the U.S. Congress.