High-ranking US Military Official Visits to Finalize Aid Package for Israel

Simultaneously with the announcement of Joe Biden's upcoming trip to Israel, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States also traveled to Tel Aviv. According to speculation, the purpose of these visits is to finalize the US military aid package to Israel. Israeli media have interpreted the visit of General Joseph Dunford, the highest-ranking US military commander, followed by Joe Biden to Israel as a continuation of Barack Obama's efforts to finalize the new military aid package to Israel. The White House has confirmed that Mr. Biden's five-day trip to the Middle East will begin with two days of discussions with the Israeli Prime Minister, followed by visits to the Palestinian territories and Jordan. According to the report, Mr. Biden's negotiations with the Israeli Prime Minister will begin on Tuesday, March 9. In the meantime, General Dunford, who arrived in Tel Aviv on Wednesday night, has continued discussions with Israeli officials to review the final details of the military aid package to Israel. According to the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, General Dunford's presence in Tel Aviv was at the invitation of his Israeli counterpart, General Gadi Eisenkot. This is General Dunford's second visit to Israel since he took over as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last fall. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously stated that if the US does not meet all of Israel's demands in the new military package, Israel will wait for the next US president. However, the White House defended its position by noting that 'no US president has supported Israel's military needs as much as Barack Obama.' The White House has called on Mr. Netanyahu to finalize the aid package. The US had previously expressed its readiness to increase its annual military aid to Israel from $3.1 billion to $4 billion, but apparently, Netanyahu is seeking a further increase. The new military aid package has been set for a ten-year period starting in 2017. Meanwhile, the significant increase in this military aid has been viewed by some analysts as a form of 'compensation' from the US to Israel due to the nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA. Israel has strongly criticized the JCPOA, the final nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, claiming that the release of frozen Iranian funds in other countries has strengthened Iran and ultimately endangers Israel. In this context, Moshe Ya'alon, Israel's Minister of Security, reiterated last week that 'Iran remains the main threat to Israel even after the nuclear agreement.' Meanwhile, General Gadi Eisenkot, the commander of the Israeli army, stated last month in a speech that the JCPOA also creates opportunities for Israel. In the new American package, Israel will receive fighter jets and some very advanced military equipment that has only been available to the US military until now.