House Approves Major Increase in Israeli Military Aid

Increase Comes to $3 Billion in 2011 Aid, Plus $205 Million in Missile Funding

The House of Representatives earlier this week approved a significant increase in the level of military aid to Israel, pushing the level to $3 billion in flat military aid, with an additional $205 million set aside for a short range rocket system.

Both of the increases were already planned as part of a memorandum of understanding between the United States and Israel, but were formally approved as part of the 212-206 vote in the House on Wednesday.

Rep. Steve Rothman (D – NJ) said the increase in aid to Israel “sends a strong message to both our enemies and allies,” but also comes at a time when the US has only just abandoned the Israeli peace process over its inability to convince Israel to agree to even a short term freeze.

The failure of the peace talks has led a number of Western nations to react negatively to Israel’s settlement expansions, but it appears that, for the US, the peace process was never more than a side story and remains irrelevant to the question of heavily arming the nation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.