Ehud Olmert thanked the Bush administration for boosting U.S. military aid to Israel.
Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns flew to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to finalize a deal in which the United States will donate $30 billion in defense grants to Israel over the next decade, a 25 percent increase over the current assistance.
Burns met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ahead of the official signing ceremony Thursday.
“The prime minister asked the undersecretary to convey his appreciation and thanks to U.S. President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for the efforts invested,” Olmert’s office said in a statement.
“The prime minister noted that the U.S. aid deal is a significant development for Israel and proves once more the depth of the relations between the two countries, as well as the commitment of the United States to the security of Israel and the preservation of its qualitative edge.”
