US Rejects $455 Million Increase In Israel Defense Missile Aid

The White House has rejected Congress’ proposal to add nearly half a billion dollars to US aid for Israel’s missile defense program in the 2017 financial year.

The Obama administration rejected the Senate bill to raise 2017 aid from $150 million to $605 million. Aid for the missile defense program is separate from the $3.1 billion in annual military aid given to Israel by the US, Globes reported Wednesday.

The administration's announcement was part of a long document issued by the White House's Office for Management and Budget (OMB), which expresses opposition to the Congress's bill on Israeli missile defense funding. The document states, "The administration opposes the addition of $455 million above the FY 2017 Budget request for Israeli missile defense procurement and cooperative development programs.”

According to the Senate appropriations committee proposal, Israel was supposed to receive $270 million for missile defense R&D programs, $62 million for procuring Iron Dome short range missile defense batteries, $150 million for medium range David's Sling systems, and $120 million for the Arrow 3 long-range missile defense system. Instead, Israel will have to make do with the $150 million in the White House's original proposal subject to Senate legislation.

Together with the White House's proposal it also opposes Congress's plan to cut $324 million from the US Ballistic Missile Defense Agency (BMD).

There is no doubt that the White House's position is related to differences between Washington and Jerusalem on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a new ten year agreement on US military aid to Israel. Jerusalem is asking for $40 billion over the next 10 years, having dropped its original request for $50 billion.

The pro-Israel lobby in Washington, The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) expressed "deep disappointment" regarding the Obama administration's decision.