Whether American funding for Israeli missile defense should be wrapped into the general American military aid to Israel, or whether it should be voted on separately, seems to be a relatively petty point around which to mount a dispute with the Obama administration, especially as it prepares to leave office.
American military aid to Israel now stands at $3 billion annually. The Obama administration wants to raise that to $4 to $5 billion annually — a very generous proposal, in our view. Extremely unwisely, Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu has not accepted it; extremely unwisely, AIPAC has raised hell over the Obama’s objection to awarding missile defense to Israel separately.
Read related news coverage, “Obama threatens veto on missile defense aid“
Yes, extremely unwisely — because the likelihood of a 10-year, $4 billion to $5 billion (i.e., a $40 to $50 billion) military aid package to Israel under Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump is iffy at best. Say what you want about Obama’s attitude toward Israel or his conduct of American foreign policy generally, he has been extremely strong on military aid to Israel. That he might, in effect, cut it a bit by incorporating missile defense into the general aid package seems to be a small price to pay in light of the very uncertain political developments in the next administration. Clinton’s party has extreme anti-Israeli voices on its platform committee; Trump’s policies are unknown, it seems, even to himself. This is not a time to pick a bone with Obama on the one Israel issue on which he has come through with flying colors.
The Obama administration is now justifying its opposition to separate aid for missile defense on the grounds that, otherwise, there might not be enough money for America’s own defense. The best way to squelch this is to accept the generous offer.
We know that missile defense is critical to Israel’s security and is increasingly expensive as it becomes increasingy sophisticated. We also know that for years the US has carried that burden over and above the annual military allocation. Now, it would be the better part of wisdom for Israel and AIPAC simply to say “thank you,” and to take the 10-year aid package now on the table.
It may not be on the table a few months from now.
Then what?
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