The House last night approved by a 231-158 vote a $5.6 billion foreign aid bill for the 1976 fiscal year which ends tomorrow which includes $275 million for Israel for the July 1-Sept. 30 transitional quarter. The bill had been held up by a dispute between the Ford Administration and the Congressional supporters of Israel over the transitional quarter funding.
Originally Congress wanted to provide Israel with $550 million in transitional quarter aid, which was 25 percent of the $2.2 billion appropriated for Israel for the 1976 fiscal year. But President Ford did not want any supplemental aid saying that Israel had enough for its needs with the funds for 1976 and the $1.8 billion recommended for the 1977 fiscal year which begins Oct. 1.
Supporters of Israel recently claimed that Ford later approved providing Israel $376 million in transitional aid but then said recently he wanted to give Israel only $200 million and divide the remaining $176 million among several Arab countries. The bill adopted yesterday provides Egypt $100 million in supplemental aid. Jordan $60 million and Syria $15 million. The supplemental aid to Israel includes $200 million for the transitional period in arms credits, half of which will be forgiven, and $75 million in economic assistance.
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