Negotiations for U.S. Defense Aid to Israel Resume

The Israeli ambassador in Washington announced on Sunday, October 18, that negotiations for U.S. defense aid to Israel, which had been suspended due to Israel's dissatisfaction with the nuclear agreement with Iran, are resuming. According to Reuters, this decision coincides with the first visit of the new head of the U.S. armed forces to Israel and the emphasis by the ambassadors of the U.S. and Israel in both countries that U.S. military aid to the Israeli army will increase. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a hard stance against the nuclear agreement since it was reached three months ago, stating last week in the Israeli parliament that the global community's reception of this agreement and its implementation does not create any obligations for Israel. The goal of the new round of security talks between Israel and the U.S. is to extend the previous ten-year agreement, which ends in 2017, under which the U.S. provided $3 billion annually to Israel. Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador in Washington, wrote on his Facebook page, 'Now that the Iranian nuclear agreement is moving towards implementation, Israel is also looking to the future and increasing cooperation with the U.S. to address the threats posed by Iran.' Netanyahu stated in his speech at the UN General Assembly last month that now that the nuclear agreement with Iran is on the verge of implementation, Israel's focus will be on closely monitoring Iran's full compliance with its commitments. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden stated two months ago that the U.S. is ready to provide a new military aid package to Israel, adding that they want to ask Israeli leaders: 'What do you need? Just tell us, and we will provide it.' However, the Israeli Prime Minister responded by saying, 'If the nuclear agreement with Iran is good, why do they want to compensate Israel?' At Netanyahu's directive, security and military negotiations between Israel and the U.S., which were examining the extension and expansion of the previous agreement in favor of Israel, were suspended as a sign of Israel's dissatisfaction with the U.S. position on the nuclear agreement with Iran. Before the suspension of negotiations, according to American and Israeli officials, the issue of increasing U.S. aid to Israel to $3.7 billion annually was also raised, and it was even suggested that if Israel insisted on the need to strengthen its military against 'threats' from Iran, the U.S. might be willing to provide more aid to Israel. According to Israeli media, Joseph Dunford, the new head of the U.S. armed forces, who arrived in Israel for his first official visit on Saturday night, October 25, began his discussions with General Gadi Eisenkot, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, on Sunday, October 26. According to Israel Radio, Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who met with Admiral Dunford in Tel Aviv on Sunday, stated, 'Iran, due to its ambitions to dominate the region and export its revolution, is the biggest factor of instability in the region... and recently it is trying to ignite the West Bank and East Jerusalem through renewed financing of terrorism.' According to this radio report, Joseph Dunford told the Israeli Defense Minister that the relations between our two countries have had 'ups and downs' recently, but our struggle against common challenges will be successful. It has also been announced that Moshe Ya'alon, the Israeli Defense Minister, will himself travel to Washington in less than two weeks to continue the new military discussions with the U.S. Additionally, Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet with Barack Obama in Washington on November 9, after a long period of tension. Last week, Netanyahu commented on his upcoming meeting with the U.S. President, saying, 'Both supporters and opponents of the nuclear deal with Iran agree that Israel must be strengthened militarily, and I will discuss this with the U.S. President.' According to Reuters, Ron Dermer, the Israeli ambassador in Washington, wrote on his Facebook page that Israel hopes that the resumed discussions between Israel and the U.S. will lead to a sustainable agreement and a significant strengthening of Israel's capability to defend itself against any threats in the region. Dan Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador in Tel Aviv, also stated on Israel Radio on October 24 that the period of tension between the U.S. and Israel has been resolved and that both countries are now focusing on meeting Israel's security needs.