Dan Williams writes that such a military aid extension is intended to enable the Israeli military to work on a five-year strategy to accommodate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu administration’s austerity budget.
Israel’s existing $3 billion annual defense assistance from the U.S. is set to expire in three years.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will visit Israel next week to discuss the future aid with Israeli officials, according to Williams’ article.
Reuters reports that Israel is seeking U.S. military support that ranges between $3.2 billion and $3.5 billion per year.