Netanyahu Reportedly Ready to Drop his Demands and Accept Obama Terms for Military Aid

Word from Jerusalem is that Prime Minister Netanyahu is ready to yield to the Obama administration on his final demands and allow the Memorandum of Understanding outlining the next ten years of US military aid to Israel at a rate of more than the present $3 billion per year to be finalized. It’s not just the amount of aid Israel will receive that is causing Netanyahu to hesitate and threaten to wait for Obama’s successor to negotiate a “better deal,” but certain terms of the agreement such as rolling back the amount of the grants Israel can spend at home will impact heavily and negatively on the Israeli defense industry, minimally causing heavy layoffs. Some analysts view the Netanyahu capitulation and decision not to rely on the successor administration as a sign that he expects a Clinton victory, a belief underscored by the selection of Sen. Tim Kaine as Clinton’s running mate after the Virginian chose to be one of only 13 senators to refuse to sign-on to a letter in support of a “robust” increase in military aid to Israel. In any case, the Israelis will be receiving more aid than any other nation receiving military assistance. Where the current agreement was worth $30 billion, the new pact will provide Jerusalem with at least $37 billion and possibly as much as $40 billion before it expires.