The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee is currently discussing a bill to give Israel one of the most generous aid packages it has ever received: The United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012. If the bill is passed, as it almost certainly will be, Israel will receive, among other things, refueling aircraft and "special" munitions; it will have access to pictures from US spy satellites; and the administration will open US air space for Israel Air Force exercises. Washington will also extend the US loan guarantees to Israel until 2015, "Defense News" reports in its latest edition.
An almost identical bill has already been passed by the House of Representatives. The bill, described as unprecedented in its scope by "Defense News", reflects the bipartisan support for Israel in both houses of the US Congress, and this support is growing as the November US presidential elections approach.
A pro-Israeli source told "Globes" yesterday that the new legislative initiative should be seen against the background of the agreement with Iran expected to be reached by the US and other countries on curbing Iran's nuclear arms project. "This bill has received the blessing of the Obama administration, which sees it as a conciliatory gesture towards Israel in advance of the agreement with Iran, about which Israel has already begun to express reservations," the source said. He said that the military elements of the bill had been discussed in the meeting between Israel's minister of defense, Ehud Barak and his US counterpart Leon Panetta in Washington last week.
The new bill is in addition to the $1 billion for the missile defense system Israel is developing with the US, the $3.1 billion in regular annual military aid (both amounts for the 2013 fiscal year), and $70 million for procurement of Iron Dome rocket interception batteries (for the 2012 fiscal year).
Various versions of the bill before the Senate include sections stating that the policy of the US is to support Israel's right of self-defense and to veto any one-sided anti-Israeli resolutions in the UN Security Council. They also mention support of Israel in efforts to reach a resolution, based on negotiations, of its conflict with the Palestinians, and encouragement of Israel's neighbors to recognize Israel as a Jewish state. None mentions the longstanding opposition of the US to expansion of Jewish settlement on the West Bank and in East Jerusalem.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 23, 2012
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