Israel, U.S. sign off on agreement for defense backing
Israel and the United States have reached a final agreement to extend defense assistance for a decade, both countries’ governments announced in a joint statement that revealed few details.
Jacob Nagel, the Israeli prime minister’s national security adviser, signed off on the deal with his U.S. counterpart, Susan Rice, on Sept. 13. A formal signing ceremony was scheduled for Sept. 14 at the State Department.
According to reports, the package will be for $38 billion over 10 years, up from the $31 billion over the last decade but below the $45 billion sought by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
It was unclear if the deal represented a real increase because missile defense cooperation was rolled into the agreement; previously, such cooperation was considered separately. The provision to include missile defense in the overall package makes it harder for Israel to appeal to Congress for increases.
Additionally, the deal over time reportedly will roll back the approximately 25 percent of the funds Israel may spend on defense equipment manufactured at home. Instead, the money must be spent on equipment manufactured by the U.S. defense industry. — jta
Ex-CIA boss, Iran deal critic, now a Trump adviser
James Woolsey, a former CIA director known for his outspoken opposition to the Iran deal, has joined the presidential campaign of Donald Trump as a senior adviser. Woolsey is also close to rightist pro-Israel groups.
In a Sept. 12 announcement by the Republican nominee’s campaign, Woolsey cast his decision to join mostly in support of recent promises by Trump to end budget cuts to the defense community.
“I am pleased to be asked to participate with others I respect in advising [Trump] on the urgent need to reinvest in and modernize our military in order to confront the challenges of the 21st century,” Woolsey said.
Woolsey is chairman of the leadership counsel of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, the think tank that has taken the lead in opposing the deal reached last year between Iran and six major world powers including the United States rolling back nuclear development in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump has said the deal is a bad one, but won’t say if he will scrap the deal altogether.
Woolsey has spoken at the Herzliya Conference, Israel’s leading gathering of national security experts. He also directed the CIA for the first two years of President Bill Clinton’s presidency, from 1993 to 1995. — jta
Coalition of Jewish Republicans goes to bat for senators
The Republican Jewish Coalition said it reached 25,000 people on a day of campaigning in Jewish neighborhoods in swing states where incumbent Republican senators are at risk.
About 200 RJC volunteers sporting “RJC Victory Team” T-shirts spread out on Sept. 11 to go door to door in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Cleveland and Broward County in South Florida.
Republican incumbents Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, Marco Rubio of Florida and Rob Portman of Ohio are in tough races in a year in which Donald Trump is expected to adversely affect down-ticket Republicans.
Leaflets distributed by the volunteers contrasted Hillary Clinton’s role in shaping the deal exchanging Iran’s nuclear rollback for sanctions relief with the senators, who all voted against the deal and were vocal in opposing it.
“Our volunteers and staff will continue speaking to voters every day until the election,” said Fred Brown, an RJC spokesman, “making it clear how dangerous a Clinton presidency would be for the United States and our allies.” — jta
House of Reps honors life, work of Elie Wiesel
The House of Representatives has unanimously approved a resolution honoring the life and work of Elie Wiesel.
Approved by voice vote on Sept. 12, the resolution “reaffirms Elie Wiesel’s efforts to preserve the memory of those who perished and prevent the recurrence of another Holocaust, to combat hate and intolerance in any manifestation, and to never forget and also learn from the lessons of history.”
Three members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, all Democrats, introduced the resolution: Steve Israel of New York, Patrick Meehan of Pennsylvania and Ted Deutch of Florida. “He offered a voice to the voiceless,” Israel said on the House floor before the vote.
Wiesel, the Holocaust memoirist and 1987 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, died July 2. — jta