United States economic and military assistance to Israel, Egypt and other Middle East countries and “Gaza and the Jordan West Bank” in the Carter Administration’s upcoming budget will be approximately in the same amount than have been allocated in each of the past two fiscal years, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was informed today. The budget for the fiscal year which will begin next Oct. 1. Is to be disclosed to Congress Tuesday.
Administration sources told the JTA they did not expect the military assistance to be Increased because of austerity programming planned by the White House. In addition, the sources said White House experts believe that the Middle East countries, including Israel, do not require additional U.S. assistance.
The actual figures on the Mideast may not be disclosed until the presentation of them is formally made by the Administration to House and Senate committees, probably in March. This practice was followed last year because of Mideast sensitivity.
Neither will the budget show what amounts may be allocated to Israel and Egypt if a peace agreement is signed. At the Camp David conference last September, the U.S. had agreed to compensate Israel for the loss of its Sinai bases, the cost of its withdrawal from the Sinai and the establishment of new bases in the Negev. Egypt is expected to be reworded with military assistance that thus for has been limited to training expenses in connection with the sale of U.S. military aircraft last year.
According to sources at the State Department, Israel will probably receive about $1.972 billion of which $785 million will be for budget assistance from the Agency for International Development, $7.2 million in agricultural commodities under the Food for Peace Program and $1 billion in military aid. This is apart from the Sinai funding.
Egypt’s total is expected to be about $935,785,000 apart from military assistance. AID’s support will be $750 million, Food for Peace $184,831,000. Gaza and the “Jordan West Bank,” as the budget reads will receive $1,055,000 and $1,735,000, respectively, in Food for Peace.
Jordan is being provided with about $232,623,000 of which $100,523,000 is in military and economic assistance, $93 million in AID budget support and $7,523,000 in Food for Peace. Lebanon’s allocation totals about $79,183,000, with $20 million from AID, $8,583,000 in Food for Peace and $50 million in economic assistance. Syria’s total is put at about $107,224,000, with $90 million in AID funds and $17,224,000 in Food for Peace.
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