Home > Israel to Seek $2.2 Billion From U.S. for Gaza Pullout

Israel to Seek $2.2 Billion From U.S. for Gaza Pullout

by Open-Publishing - Thursday 8 September 2005
2 comments

Wars and conflicts Economy-budget International Governments USA

Tuesday, July 12, 2005; Page A16

JERUSALEM, July 11— Israel’s government will request $2.2 billion from the Bush administration to help pay for its planned evacuation of the Gaza Strip and four Jewish settlements in the northern West Bank later this summer, Israeli officials said Monday.

The amount, which would be paid over three years, is equal to roughly one year’s worth of U.S. military assistance to Israel. It represents one of the largest one-time aid requests Israel has made to the United States.

According to Israeli officials, one-third of the money would help defray expenses associated with the redeployment of Israeli military bases and troops following the pullout from Gaza, scheduled to begin Aug. 15. The United States helped pay similar redeployment costs in the 1980s when Israel withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula following the U.S.-brokered Camp David peace accords with Egypt.

The remaining two-thirds of the aid would be used to develop Israel’s Galilee region in the north and the Negev desert in the south. The Israeli government is encouraging some of the 8,500 settlers in Gaza and about 700 others from the West Bank to move to those areas.

Israeli officials said part of the basis for the aid request was an April 2004 letter from President Bush to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, which recognized that "Israel believes it is important to bring new opportunities to the Negev and the Galilee" as part of setting conditions for the U.S.-backed solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

— Scott Wilson

Forum posts

  • The United States has given Israel the average of 13billion dollars per year since 9/11. They were only getting 3billion at one time. This author is trying to gloss over the true amounts given to Israel. Now when we need the money for our own country more than ever, the government should take the opportunity to ween off the Israeli leeches.

    While other countries pledged financial aid to the U.S., Israel has the nerve to want us to keep giving our tax money to them for NOTHING in return.

    What is wrong with this picture???