U.S. to Boost Annual Military Aid to Israel By $1 Billion, on Top of the Current $3.1 Billion, While Reducing Annual Economic Aid to Palestinians from $370 Million to $290 Million

The United States is cutting economic aid for the Palestinian Authority, partly because of "unhelpful actions" by the Palestinians, a US diplomat said on Saturday. A specialised news site, al-Monitor, earlier said the US State Department intends to reduce aid for the West Bank and Gaza in fiscal 2016 from $370 million (335 million euros) to $290 million. [AFP]

US Plans $1 Billion Annual Hike In Israel Military Aid

October 22, 2015

Mint Press News - According to reports in the Israeli press, planned talks between Israel and the US on a one-time, multi-billion dollar military aid package in “compensation” for US approval of the Iran nuclear deal remain on hold, with focus on a planned increase in annual military aid to Israel.

The US currently sends Israel $3.1 billion annually in military aid, and the increase is expected to bump this up by roughly another billion dollars. Such plans tend toward 20-year timeframes, meaning the spending will add up to $20 billion more.

US military aid by and large isn’t cash, but rather credits used to purchase weapons from certain well-connected US arms makers, meaning the aid program amounts to a subsidy for both the Israeli military and for major US manufacturers.

Israeli DM Moshe Ya’alon is expected to visit the US next week for discussions on this aid hike, with expectations that a final deal on the bump would be announced during an upcoming visit by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

White House warns Netanyahu 'infammatory rhetoric' must stop

October 22, 2015

AFP - The White House warned Benjamin Netanyahu against "inflammatory rhetoric" Thursday after the Israeli prime minister claimed a Palestinian religious leader provoked the Holocaust.

Netanyahu on Tuesday suggested Hitler was not planning to exterminate the Jews until he met Grand Mufti of Jerusalem Haj Amin al-Husseini, a Palestinian nationalist, in 1941.

Responding sharply to the controversial claim, since pedaled back by the Israeli leader, White House spokesman Eric Schultz said, "I don't think there's any doubt here at the White House who is responsible for the Holocaust that killed six million Jews."

"We here continue to stress publicly and privately ... the importance of preventing inflammatory rhetoric, accusations or actions on both sides (that) can feed the violence."

"We believe that inflammatory rhetoric needs to stop."

Netanyahu's comments were widely criticized, with Palestinian leaders and the Israeli opposition accusing him of distorting the past, while historians called them inaccurate.

The White House reaction comes after Secretary of State John Kerry met Netanyahu in Berlin, urged Palestinians and Israelis to halt all incitement.

Related:

• White House urges against inflammatory rhetoric after Netanyahu's comments Reuters
• Benjamin Netanyahu blames the Holocaust on a Palestinian mufti. That's ludicrous. Vox.com
• Netanyahu Holocaust comment not backed by scholarly evidence?: U.S. Reuters
• Netanyahu says will use 'all means' to end Palestinian violence AFP