WASHINGTON (JTA) — A defense spending bill before the U.S. Senate sets aside over $200 million for cooperativee defense projects with Israel.
Included in that sum is funding for Israeli-American long-range and short-range missile defense programs.
The Defense Appropriations bill, approved this week by the Senate’s Approriations Committee, incorporates a similar bill passed in July by the U.S. House of Representatives.
President Obama said in a statement Friday that he "strongly supports" the overalll bill.
Defense cooperation with Israel is not counted as aid and is separate from the annual $3 billion Israel gets in defense assistance.
