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Friday, July 16, 1999 | return to: national


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Barak returns home with U.S. treats

by WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak returned home this week with clear declarations of U.S. support:, *President Clinton and Barak agreed to establish the Strategic Policy Planning Group to bolster Israel's defense and deterrence

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At the same time U.S. military aid to Israel would increase by $60 million a year. At the end of the 10-year period, Israel would receive $2.4 billion a year in military aid. The codification of the agreements, subject to congressional approval, is expected to nix White House efforts to end the economic aid sooner.

*Barak decided to purchase 50 advanced F-16 fighter jets in a deal worth $2.5 billion, making it the largest defense contract ever signed by the state. Most of the funding will come from the U.S. aid package.

*Clinton promised to go to Congress to seek an additional $1.2 billion of aid for Israel. The package, which also includes $400 million for the Palestinians and $300 million for the Jordanians, was promised during October's Wye peace talks. Except for a partial payment to Jordan, the aid was never delivered because of the stalemate in the peace process.

*Clinton agreed to pay an estimated $200 million for a third Arrow missile battery, which is designed to destroy incoming missiles.

*An Israeli astronaut and payload of Israeli experiments will be launched on a U.S. space shuttle next year, and Clinton and Barak agreed to establish a committee made up of NASA and the Israel Space Agency for the "development of practical applications in the peaceful use of space."

For more JTA stories, go to http://www.jta.org


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