Hello, Warriors! At the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s visit to the US this week, the leaders will hold discussions over a $30bn military aid package to Israel and try to put their increasingly bitter disagreements behind them.
Although there were occasions when they’ve had disagreements and that’s well known about this past year, particularly around the Iranian negotiations, it’s clear that long-standing disputes between Israel and The US seemed to be forgotten.
Here are the key points of the latest Israel-US arms deal:
- A 10-year military aid package signed under the Bush Administration is set to expire in 2017, and US President Barack Obama made clear that a new decade-long package was a top priority.
- The talks are expected to put in place a package of $30 billion, worth substantially more than the expiring one though Israel was looking for at least $50 billion over the next 10 years.
- US officials had previously suggested the deal would be in the $36-$37 billion range.
- In addition to the new decade-long package, the US and Israel are also negotiating a one-off deal as reparations for Israel’s objections to the Iran nuclear deal, a package which itself is expected to be worth several billion dollars.
- Israel is also concerned about the progress of a deal under which Russia would sell Iran its S-300 anti-aircraft system, expected to be concluded next year.
- Israel, therefore, in particular, will ask for more F-35 fighter jets, more F-15 fighters and the V-22 Osprey, a vertical take-off and landing plane from the US.
- The F-35 is the only aircraft able to counter the S-300 surface to air missile system.
- Israel may also seek to ensure that other US allies in the region do not get the F-35 aircraft.
However, the deal will not be finalized during the post-row summit this year and would come into effect only after the current accord expires in 2017.
