Solon Says U.S. Aid to Israel is ‘a Highly Productive Bargain’

America’s assistance to Israel is “a highly productive bargain,” according to Sen. Larry Pressler (R. SD). “One outstanding and less appreciated fact” is the tremendous return the U.S. obtains from its small economic and security assistance contribution to Israel, he told some 600 people at the annual New York Regions Dinner of the Zionist Organization of America Sunday night.

Pressler, who is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on European Affairs and formerly was chairman of the Senate Arms Control Committee, noted that the $3 billion in U.S. aid to Israel pales in comparison with what the U.S. spends in defense of NATO countries.

“At a time when the U.S. spends more in defense of Japan than the Japanese themselves spend on their defense, more Americans need to know about the returns we obtain from our modest investment in Israel,” he said. “The U.S. Defense Department has calculated that the returns on our defense research and development investment in Israel is between two and three times the cost.”

He cited, as an example, Israel’s development of a fuel tank system “which extended the range of our fighter aircraft by 500 miles and proved that it would work under actual combat conditions.” Israel has done the same in other areas of defense technology and weapons development, the Senator added. “In terms of contributing to improvements in our own defense, our assistance to Israel is a highly productive bargain.”

A highlight of the dinner was the presentation of the Justice Louis Brandeis Award to Ambassador John Loeb, Jr. for his “exemplary and dedicated service to the community, Israel and the Jewish people.” Loeb was U.S. Ambassador to Denmark from 1981 to 1983.

In honoring Loeb, the ZOA also paid tribute to the Danish people for their valor in saving the Jews of their country from extermination by the Nazis. The tribute was acknowledged by Eigel Jorgensen, Denmark’s Ambassador to the U.S.