Bibi to Accept US War Aid Conditions as Talks Enter Final Round
Local Editor
"Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaning toward giving in on many of his demands and accepting most of the American terms.
Acting National Security Adviser Jacob Nagel is expected to take part in a decisive round of talks in Washington this week on a military aid deal with the United States.
The "Israeli" daily Haaretz said that the entity's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaning toward giving in on a good many of his demands and accepting most of the American terms. These include a gradual phasing out of the entity's spending of one-fourth of the American aid on purchases from "Israeli" military contractors.
A senior official in Washington who spoke in condition of anonymity said that Nagel is expected to meet at the White House with US National Security Adviser Susan Rice immediately on the latter's return from China toward the end of the week. Rice has been coordinating the talks with Israel on the aid deal together with Yael Lempert, who heads the White House's "Israel" desk.
Negotiations between the United States and the "Israeli" apartheid regime on the aid package for the coming decade began in November. After a few rounds the talks ran aground in May. The Americans made clear that their offer was final and it was up to "Israel" whether to sign while President Barack Obama is still in office or wait for the next president to take office in January 2017.
Nagel held videoconferences with Rice and Lempert over the past few weeks to try resolve the remaining disagreements and the meeting at the White House is apparently to finalize the details. Last Monday Netanyahu told the Knesset he hoped the deal would be completed within a few weeks.
Netanyahu is not happy with the US proposal both in terms of the amount and the conditions the administration is imposing. However, he has decided to seal the deal while Obama is still in office and is leaning toward waiving most of his demands.
After accepting those terms, US war aid over the next decade could rise from the current proposal of $37 billion to $40 billion.
According to the daily, the Americans said the current arrangement no longer serves the interests of both countries and is an ineffective way to use the funding.
Despite pressure by "Israeli" security industries and Netanyahu's own opposition, he has had to back down on it and is making do with a gradual reduction of the use of the aid in "Israel". One of the issues Nagel is expected to close in Washington is the length of the period until the arrangement stops entirely. The apartheid regime wants it to wind down over 10 years, while the Americans want it to cease after seven or eight years.
Another contentious issue over which Netanyahu seems ready to give in is the funding of "Israel's" missile system. Until now, "Israel" applies annually to the administration and to Congress for funding to develop systems such as Iron Dome.
Every year negotiations take place with the White House and with Congress that conclude with an agreed-on sum to give to "Israel" for missile systems.
The United States now wants to include this aid in the basic aid budget. In return, the administration wants the entity to agree to forgo its separate channel to Congress for the purpose of increasing aid to its missile program.
Source: Haaretz, Edited by website team
