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US Considers Ending Civilian Aid to Israel Soon: Report
U.S. officials have been reviewing a proposal to end all civilian aid to Israel immediately, in the context of a general review of the U.S. foreign aid priorities, the website of the Israeli leading daily Ha'aretz reported Wednesday.
The U.S. foreign aid policy has to change following the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, and one possibility is to phase out civilian aid to Israel sooner than planned, a senior Western diplomat was quoted as saying.
The diplomat added that the increase of the U.S. military aid to Israel, which was slated in accompany with the reduction of civilian aid, will not be affected.
The U.S. and Israel reached an agreement three years ago, under which U.S. civilian aid to Israel, which was 1.2 billion U.S. dollars a year at that time, is to phase out in 10 years with an annual cut of 120 million dollars.
Over the same period, U.S. military aid is to increase by 60 million dollars a year, which means Israel will receive 2.4 billion dollars a year by the end of the 10-year period.
According to the agreement, Israel is expected to receive 840 million dollars in civilian aid and 1.98 billion dollars in military aid this year.
There is little logic in continuing civilian aid to Israel, whose economic indicators are in better shape than those of some European countries, the diplomat explained.
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