President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have begun talks about a possible increase in U.S. military assistance to Israel from $3 billion annually to up to $5 billion under a 10-year agreement, Military.com reported Monday.Bryant Jordan writes Netanyahu met with Obama to discuss the possible extension of the security aid memorandum of understanding, which is set to expire in 2017.
The agreement aims to help Israel improve its military capabilities in order to defend itself from national security threats, Jordan reports.
“It will be expiring in a couple of years, but we want to get a head start on that to make sure that both the United States and Israel can plan effectively for our defense needs going forward,” Obama said.
“Israel has shouldered a tremendous defense burden over the years, and we’ve done it with the generous assistance of the United States of America,” Netanyahu said at the White House.
