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.”