Israel welcomes record US military aid
(Baonghean.vn) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the record $38 billion military aid package from the US. This aid was negotiated under the previous US administration and was disbursed at the right time to help the Jewish state counter the "complex" threat posed by its enemy Iran.
Two years after President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a 10-year military assistance package, the agreement took effect on October 1.
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| An Israeli soldier stands next to a mobile artillery battery. Photo: AP |
Mr. Netanyahu welcomed the agreement, seeing it as an effective way to deal with the threat from the Islamic Republic.
Previously, the US State Department emphasized that the aid package was aimed at protecting Israel from "potential enemies in the region", but first of all to deal with "terrorist groups backed by the Iranian government".
On his Twitter account on October 2, Mr. Netanyahu wrote: “Israel and the world are facing complex security challenges, the first of which is Iran’s aggression. The United States’ steadfast support for Israel’s right to self-defense is one of the pillars of our strong relationship.”
Under the terms of the agreement — outlined in the 2018 US-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act — Israel will receive $3.3 billion in annual funding and $500 million for missile defense cooperation programs.
Specifically, the US has authorized the transfer to Israel of "weapons necessary for Israel to counter the missile threat in a timely manner". This move also expands the US weapons stockpile in Israel that Washington can use in the event of war.
Prime Minister Netanyahu and the Trump administration, unlike the Obama administration, have repeatedly warned of the threat from Iran. Israel has been particularly supportive of Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
Meanwhile, other signatory countries such as Russia and China said that this action could threaten regional and world security./.
