This is a guest post by the National Jewish Democratic Council.
Underscoring his commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship, President Barack Obama requested a record $3.1 billion in assistance to Israel for the 2013 fiscal year. The requested amount is not just the largest assistance request for Israel ever, it is the largest foreign assistance request ever in U.S. history.
According to page 172 of the State Department’s report on the FY 2013 budget, foreign military financing to Israelhas increased steadily under Obama:
- In 2011, Israel received $2.994 billion;
- In 2012, Israel is estimated to have received $3.075 billion; and
- In 2013, Obama requested for Israel to receive $3.1 billion — almost half of the entire global request for foreign military financing.
This is consistent with the ten-year Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel.
The increase in funding will help the Jewish state maintain its qualitative military edge and keep its citizens secure as the Middle East continues to undergo rapid change.
Click here to view this post on NJDC’s blog.
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
You can now explain why the President had a meeting with the Ikhwan.
Nachman, this was new information to me but after looking online, it seems that you are correct that President Obama met with members of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2009 because of the changes going on in Egypt. His rationale?
To quote a Washington Times article: “Mr. Obama’s administration recently said that there should be room for opposition groups like the Muslim Brotherhood in the newly formed Egyptian government as long as the long banned Islamist group “rejects violence and recognizes Democratic goals.”” – http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/watercooler/2011/feb/7/flashback-obamas-under-radar-meeting-muslim-brothe/
Furthermore, as Politico wrote in 2011: “One senior U.S. official said the Brotherhood’s rise in political prominence after the forced departure of former President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year makes the American contact necessary. “The political landscape in Egypt has changed, and is changing… It is in our interests to engage with all of the parties that are competing for parliament or the presidency,” said the official, who confirmed the news to Reuters on condition of anonymity.” – http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/58094.html#ixzz1mvh5uDHW
I’m not saying I agree with President Obama & his administration’s decision on this, given the nature of the Muslim Brotherhood, but there’s no question that President Obama supports a safe and secure Israel, and one meeting with the Muslim Brotherhood in 2009 does not disprove that fact.
I suspect, then, you haven’t read up on Qutb. You should research this one, Miss Itman. The Ikwan is a murderous anti-Semitic political movement. It’s like negotiating with Nazis.