GOOD HANAKKAH NEWS: President Barack Obama on Friday signed a bill deepening US-Israeli cooperation and said the legislation reinforces “critical defense and security programs. Obama said the legislation also lays the groundwork for increased trade and cooperation between the US and Israel. However, Obama says his administration will interpret certain sections in a manner that does not interfere with his constitutional authority to conduct diplomacy. That includes a section requiring the administration to provide Congress certain diplomatic communications. The US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act increases the value of emergency US weaponry kept in Israel by $200 million, to a total of $1.8 billion. It promotes closer US-Israeli links in energy, water, homeland security, alternative fuel technology and cybersecurity. It also offers a verbal guarantee of Israel maintaining a qualitative military edge over its neighbors. The bill also expands cooperation on research and development, business, agriculture, water management and academics. Earlier this year, Congress increased US funding for Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system, to $351 million for fiscal year 2015 from $235 million the previous year. Read more: Obama passes Israel strategic partnership bill | The Times of Israel timesofisrael/obama-passes-israel-strategic-partnership-bill/#ixzz3MRJkz5hx Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebook Read more: Obama passes Israel strategic partnership bill | The Times of Israel timesofisrael/obama-passes-israel-strategic-partnership-bill/#ixzz3MRJVozaT Follow us: @timesofisrael on Twitter | timesofisrael on Facebookr
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 12:16:09 +0000
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