Israel Matzav

Israel to lose $175 million in foreign aid to US sequester

If President Obama and Congress don't reach a deal by Friday - and it seems unlikely that they will - Israel stands to lose $175 million in foreign aid as a result of the automatic sequester that is to take effect.

Israel is set to lose $143 million in foreign aid in 2013 and an additional $32 million in direct military assistance if U.S. President Barack Obama and Congress do not work out an agreement to prevent automatic sequestration by Friday.

The cuts reflect a 8.2% cut in the remainder of Israel’s foreign aid package for fiscal year 2013, and a 13% cut in the U.S. defense budget - excluding military pay - from which Israel receives direct assistance for specific military programs. Both aid packages are directed at military assistance and security collaborations, though they come from different sources within the U.S. budget.

Well-placed sources said that while aid to Israel enjoys wide support in Congress, it has not been publicly singled out either by U.S. lawmakers or by pro-Israel lobbyists during the ongoing and often acrimonious debate about sequestration.

The sources added that although the sequestration aims to cut the U.S. budget by $1.2 trillion over a period of ten years, from FY2014 onwards it would be possible to exempt Israel from the mandatory budget reductions.

I honestly don't believe that this will greatly impact Israel....

Meanwhile, Congressman Keith Ellison (D-Mn) unloaded on Sean Hannity on Fox News last night regarding the sequestration.

Let's go to the videotape.



Isn't Ellison a pleasure?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Keith Ellison, Sean Hannity, US foreign aid, US-Israel relationship

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 6:47 PM