- WASHINGTON - Israel has been
the largest annual recipient of U.S. foreign assistance since 1976 and
the largest cumulative recipient of U.S. assistance since World War II,
according to government statistics.
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- In the current fiscal year, the administration of President
George W. Bush requested $2.04 billion in military aid, $720 million in
economic and $60 million in migration resettlement assistance for Israel,
the service said.
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- In 1983, the United States and Israel established the
Joint Political Military Group, which meets twice a year.
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- Both the United States and Israel participate in joint
military planning and combined exercises, and have collaborated on military
research and weapons development.
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- The United States has provided Israel with $625 million
to develop and deploy the Arrow anti-missile missile, $1.3 billion to develop
the Lavi aircraft, $200 million to build the Merkava tank and $130 million
to build a high-energy laser anti-missile system.
-
- Commitment to Israel's security and well being has been
a cornerstone of U.S. policy in the Middle East since Israel's creation
in 1948, in which the United States played a key supporting role, according
to the State Department.
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- The United States is Israel's largest trading partner.
In 2000, two-way trade totalled some $20.8 billion, and Israel had a $5.2
billion trade surplus with the United States, according to U. S . government
statistics.
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- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=7633461
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