TIMES OF ISRAEL
US officials: Israel requesting $5 billion in annual defense aid
by Staff
November 5, 2015

Israel is asking the United States for $5 billion in annual defense aid for a decade, beginning in 2017, US congressional sources told Reuters on Wednesday. The request — a total of $50 billion — is a significant increase from Israel’s current aid package, which stands at close to $3 billion per year. The sources estimated that the White House and Israel would ultimately agree on a sum between $4 billion and $5 billion. The sources stressed that the negotiations were still in the early stages. “First they have to negotiate with the White House,” a senior congressional aide told Reuters. Israel was said earlier this week to have finalized its “shopping list” of desired US military material as part of a new long-term agreement for US defense assistance to Israel to maintain its qualitative edge in the region. READ MORE