The U.S. Increases Its Weapons Stockpile in Israel by Two Hundred Million Dollars

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, has signed a bill that increases U.S. military aid to Israel to one billion eight hundred million dollars. The Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post reported on Sunday, December 30, that according to this bill, the U.S. will increase the military equipment it maintains in its weapons depot in Israel by two hundred million dollars. The Israeli army had received permission from the U.S. to use the American military depot in Israel for attacks during last summer's military operations against Gaza, as Israel's arsenal had faced significant depletion. The U.S.-Israel Strategic Cooperation Bill also strengthens air refueling capabilities for Israeli fighter jets; it has previously been stated that increasing the range of air refueling for a potential military strike on Iran's nuclear sites would be vital. Under the new bill, advanced V-22 tiltrotor aircraft will also be delivered to Israel, and cooperation between the military industries of the two countries will increase. According to the Jerusalem Post, cooperation between the two countries in energy matters, especially in the gas sector, as well as in water, agriculture, and technology will also be enhanced based on this bill. Barack Obama emphasized that this bill reaffirms America's commitment to Israel and takes the friendship and cooperation between the two countries to new levels. This bill describes Israel as a 'strategic partner' for the U.S. and had previously been approved by the Washington Congress. According to the Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post, no other country in the world has been officially recognized as a 'strategic partner' of the U.S. Barack Obama stated at the signing of this bill that no previous U.S. administrations had taken steps to deepen bilateral cooperation with Israel as his administration has. Israeli leaders have emphasized in recent years that during Barack Obama's presidency, the U.S. readiness for military and intelligence cooperation with Israel has been 'greater than ever before.' This comes despite serious political disagreements between Barack Obama's administration and Benjamin Netanyahu's government, with signs of these disagreements surfacing from time to time. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Israel Strategic Cooperation Bill does not address the longstanding request of Israeli governments to eliminate visa requirements for Israelis entering the U.S., and according to the Jerusalem Post, it seems this request will not be fulfilled for a long time. The U.S. has stated that before placing Israel among countries whose citizens do not need a visa to enter the U.S., Israel must define its 'border policies.' This refers to the need to resolve serious border disputes between Israel and the Palestinians, while the peace process has been in a state of stagnation for a long time. The 'U.S.-Israel Strategic Cooperation Bill' was drafted by several supporters of Israeli policies in the U.S. Congress; Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican representative from Florida, Ed Royce, a Republican representative from California, Eliot Engel, a Democratic representative from New York, and California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer and Missouri Republican Senator Roy Blunt were the drafters of this law. The drafting of this law took more than a year of effort before reaching the President's signature. Barack Obama signed this bill before going on his New Year’s vacation.