Obama’s Israel Sequester He arm-twists an ally to do an end-run around Congress.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/obamas-israel-sequester-1473980144
The Obama Administration has used various means to usurp Congress’s power of the purse, but twisting the arm of an ally is a new low. That’s what the President in effect did this week by requiring Israel to accept his spending limits in return for a modest boost in military aid.
As diplomats rolled into the U.S. for the U.N. General Assembly this week, the White House rolled out a deal with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that would provide $38 billion in military assistance to Israel over the next decade. The previous agreement, which ends in 2018, included $3.1 billion in annual aid. While the Administration is advertising its “unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security,” its real feelings are betrayed by the fine print.
Start with the fact that Congress typically tacked onto the $3.1 billion an additional $500 million each year for missile defense. Thus the new agreement represents a mere 5% increase amid growing Middle East threats, which will likely proliferate over the next decade thanks to the Administration’s retreat from the region and nuclear deal with Iran.
The aid is also less than the $4 billion annually that Mr. Netanyahu sought and the Senate wanted to provide. After Lindsey Graham, who chairs the Senate appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations, refused to sign off on the deal, the Administration impelled Israel to agree not to lobby for more aid and to return any funds Congress appropriates in the future that exceed the agreement’s terms.
In other words, the Administration has pressured Israel to cut out Congress. While the deal isn’t binding on Congress, Israel would be accused of bargaining in bad faith if it doesn’t keep its word. It’s unclear why Mr. Netanyahu would agree to such self-abnegation, but he might be hedging his political bets.
In March Donald Trump professed that he would make Israel repay U.S. military assistance. The chance that Mr. Trump might win and keep that promise might have convinced Mr. Netanyahu to lock in the Administration’s spending caps. On the other hand, if Democrats take the Senate and House in a rout this November, they might also want to pare back aid to Israel to pad domestic spending.CONTINUE AT SITE
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