US, Israel Sign Military Aid Memorandum

The United States and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday that sets for the terms of American aid to the Jewish state worth about $3.8 billion each year from 2019 through 2028. While both governments are strongly promoting that the package is the largest ever, local media in Israel is focusing on “what could have been” had the friction between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama not been a factor. Lost in much of the media coverage during the months of negotiation was the second side of the double edged sword: the removal by President Obama of Israel’s ability to spend 26% of the grant with Israeli corporations – a provision intended to protect American companies from Israeli competition — the loss of which could be devastating to the Israeli defense industries. In a move that resonates in the epicenter of the relationship between Israel and Congress – and arguably between the Legislature and Executive as well — President Obama cut-off Israel’s ability to go to Capitol Hill to request any further funding for specific projects – an extremely serious caveat according to analysts who cite the unplanned assistance Jerusalem received to develop the technology necessary to locate and destroy terror tunnels and the additional aid Israel received for the development of anti-missile defensive systems.