Israel has expressed interest to sign a memorandum of understanding over a military assistance package with the U.S. government before President Barack Obama leaves office in January, the Jerusalem Post reported Monday.Herb Keinon writes Susan Rice, U.S. national security adviser, said Obama would like the new MOU with Israel to be signed under his term.
“Israel currently receives more than half of the United States’ entire foreign military assistance budget,†Rice said at the AJC Global Forum.
“And, we’re discussing a new agreement with Israel that would guide our military assistance until 2029,â€Â she added.
Israel has requested up to $5 billion in annual military assistance from the U.S. government in order to address regional challenges, while the U.S. plans to maintain the level of military aid at approximately $3 billion and reduce the portion of that package that could be spent in Israel, Keinon reports.
Israel is allowed to use 26 percent of that military aid package in the country under the current MOU that is scheduled to expire by the end of 2017, according to the Jerusalem Post.
