The memorandum of understanding on a military aid package, which was signed in Washington on Wednesday between the American administration and Israel, is a generous move, which points to the B.O. regime's dedication to Israel's security and to its devotion to the commitments he gave Democratic senators during the battle over the nuclear agreement with Iran.
| A bribe to Israel to shut up about Iran, and it mollifies those Democrats who still stand with Israel. |
I bowled a 129. It’s like — it was like Special Olympics, or something...
, no one else. He deserves gratitude.
| That's certainly one perspective... |
| He is only a president, not a king. Constitutionally speaking, Congress is required to advise and consent to all arrangements with foreign countries. It is also only Congress that has the power of the purse, not the president. But the package at issue -- $38 billion over ten years starting after the current package ends in 2018 -- would be executed by the next president and the next Congress, so President Obama's little executive plan is not binding on any of the parties after he leaves office. It's vaporware. |
| ...such a lovely bit of Kabuki theater... |
After Republican Senator
Lindsey Graham... the endangered South Carolina RINO...
, chairman of the Appropriations Committee, announced that he was not bound by the MOU,
| ..and so he isn't... |
This is an unusual commitment. On the positive side, it indicates that the two most important political institutions in the world are competing against each other over who will give Israel more; on the negative side, it points to the administration's suspiciousness towards the Israeli government and Israel's friends in Congress.
The agreement also determines that two bonuses that were given to Israel in the previous MOU will be canceled: The allotment of $400 million a year for fuel purchases will be canceled as soon as the agreement takes effect, on October 1, 2018. The allotment of $850 million a year for the IDF's purchases from Israel's defense industries will be canceled gradually. The fuel budget was a nice gift at the time, but is unnecessary now that Israel has become a gas power. The budget for purchases in Israel harmed the American defense industries, so its cancellation is justified.
The Americans should be given credit for not cutting those sums from the total military aid. That means, on a practical level, that Israel will be able to purchase another group of F-35 stealth fighter jets as part of the aid. The aid packages secures Israel's qualitative advantage in the purchase area in the next 12 years. That also applies to the anti-missile defense systems: The agreement puts Congress's allotments for the development of missile plans at the basis of the budget. The sum is identical.
In total, the aid will grow by $200-300 million a year, which is a nice sum but much lower than the sum discussed before Netanyahu's Congress speech. When inflation is taken into account, the sum gets close to the reality today.
In a conversation I had with White House officials Wednesday evening, they stressed that the agreement was flexible. If Israel faces a state of emergency, a war or a serious intifada, discussing an increase in the aid will be possible. The following sentence is my interpretation: All options are on the table, apart from a game between the White House and Congress.