Israeli Seeks $20 Billion in US Aid

Tuesday March 08, 2011 17:52 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli government is planning to head to the United States to ask for a $20 Billion in additional military aid to “cope with the new changes in the Middle East”.

Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, stated in different occasions that it is essential to increase the military budget in the country due to recent changes in Middle East that led to the removal of the Tunisian, and most importantly for Israel, the Egyptian regime of Hosni Mubarak.

The statements of Netanyahu were followed by similar calls from Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, who stated that Tel Aviv intends to ask Washington for an additional $20 Billion in order “to cope with the current changes in the Middle East”.

Israeli Yedioth Aharonoth reported Tuesday that Barak told the Wall Street Journal that, under the current changes in the Middle East, Israel needs more military support in order to “counter potential threats that would likely occur in the coming period”.

Barak said that the United States needs to grant Israel the $20 Billion so that Israel can protect its security status, and its military superiority.

“It is true that Israel is strong, and enjoys a strategic superiority in the region”, Barak stated, “But the current changes in the region pave the way for new challenges, and this issues requires the U.S. Administration to significantly increase its military support to Israel”.

The Israeli Defense Minister also said that it is in the US’s interest, and the interest of Tel Aviv, to grant Israel this additional aid.

Several Israeli media agencies, known for their close affiliation with Israel security and political devices, published a number of reports slamming the new interim Egyptian Prime Minister, Dr. Isam Sharaf, and described his as an “enemy to Israel”, and also described him and the new Foreign Minister as anti-smite.

Israeli TV stations, Channel 7 and Channel 10 along with The Marker and Maariv newspapers held extensive coverage of the swear-in ceremony of the new government headed by Dr. Sharaf.

They claimed that Dr. Sharaf is “known for his anti-Israel positions”, and opposes the Israeli policies towards the Palestinian people, and that Sharaf “insisted on showing his anti-Semitism by choosing another anti-Semite, the new Foreign Minister, Nabil Al Arabi”.

According to some Israeli reports, Dr. Sharaf and his new government “pose a threat to Israel and its interests, especially with Egypt”, and that he adopts stances that reject normalization with Tel Aviv.

The reports also acknowledged the fact the Sharaf is a leader who came to power by the will of the Egyptian people and gained his trust from them.

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