"Our two nations are forever bound by our shared history and our shared values. And every American dollar spent on Israel's security is an investment in protecting the many interests that our nations share, whether that's preventing rockets from terrorizing the Israeli people, defending against a growing ballistic missile threat in the region, or advancing our commitment to defend freedom and democracy," said Susan Rice on Friday while on an Israeli visit with other senior American officials.
"There can be no doubt whatsoever: America's commitment to Israel's security is unwavering and ironclad," Rice added in remarks made at Israel’s Palmahim Air Force Base.
She further underlined that Washington and Tel Aviv recently signed an agreement for greater US investment in its Iron Dome system — a short-range rocket defense system designed to intercept rockets and artillery shells fired from a range of between four and 70 kilometers.
The Obama administration’s top national security official added that the new deal “will take our total investment in Iron Dome… to nearly $900 million,” and vowed to "fund additional batteries that will protect more Israeli communities, military bases, and critical infrastructure from rocket and mortar attacks."
"We remain deeply committed to Israel's qualitative military edge, and this impressive facility and all the work being done here is a wonderful example of that enduring partnership," Rice said.
Israel already receives billions of dollars from the US every year. Under an existing 10-year aid agreement between Washington and Tel Aviv signed in 2007, $30 billion of American taxpayers’ money is flowing to the Israeli regime.
The US annual military aid to Tel Aviv has climbed from $2.4 billion to more than $3 billion through 2017 under the existing agreement.
Israel's military chiefs, however, are pushing Washington to further boost its military grants to the regime, arguing that a new set of security challenges in the Middle East justifies the move.
Obama, meanwhile, has pledged to extend US aid to Israel. The pending 10-year military aid package would commit Washington to give up to $40 billion in military grant assistance to Israel which would automatically kick in after the current deal expires in 2017.
US annual aid to Israel has held steady despite cuts to a wide range of domestic and military programs in the United States, including reducing the size of the US Army to its lowest level since before World War Two.
On March 4, the US House of Representatives passed a bill that reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to Tel Aviv as a “major strategic partner,” urging further expansion of American military ties with the occupying regime.
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