Israel remains largest recipient of US aid
AFP [ MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2002 7:48:57 AM ]
WASHINGTON: Israel has been the largest annual recipient of US foreign assistance since 1976 and the largest cumulative recipient of US assistance since World War II, according to government statistics.
In the current fiscal year, the administration of President George W Bush requested $2.04 billion in military aid, $720 million in economic and $60 million in migration resettlement assistance for Israel, the service said.
In 1983, the United States and Israel established the Joint Political Military Group, which meets twice a year.
Both the United States and Israel participate in joint military planning and combined exercises, and have collaborated on military research and weapons development.
The United States has provided Israel with $625 million to develop and deploy the Arrow anti-missile missile, $1.3 billion to develop the Lavi aircraft, $200 million to build the Merkava tank and $130 million to build a high-energy laser anti-missile system.
Commitment to Israel's security and well being has been a cornerstone of US policy in the Middle East since Israel's creation in 1948, in which the United States played a key supporting role, according to the State Department.
The United States is Israel's largest trading partner. In 2000, two-way trade totalled some $20.8 billion, and Israel had a $5.2 billion trade surplus with the United States, according to US government statistics.
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