WASHINGTON (JTA) — Israel’s ambassador to Washington thanked the Obama administration for maintaining assistance levels to Israel.
A commitment to $2.775 billion in defense assistance in 2010 and to joint defense development projects such as the Arrow anti-missile system appeared in the detailed budget proposal the White House submitted last week to Congress.
The figure maintains the level of support guaranteed in the 2007 U.S.-Israel memorandum of understanding, which amounts to $30 billion delivered over 10 years.
A statement from the embassy issued Saturday night said Sallai Meridor, Israel’s outgoing ambassador, “expressed his appreciation” in conversations with a number of senior administration officials.
Israel had been concerned that the Obama administration would reduce the assistance as part of across-the-board budget cuts in the wake of the economic crisis.
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