US Ups Funding For IDF Missile Defense

[Purveyor]

Source: Jerusalem Post

The US House of Representatives appropriations committee nearly doubled American funding for Israel's Arrow and short-range missile defense programs this week, bringing the 2008 total to $150 million.

The amount is not only more than last year's $135 million, but comes earlier in the budget process, holding out the expectation that the allocation will be increased considerably more by the Senate before the final bill is voted on in the fall.

Israeli officials see Wednesday's funding boost as a sign of growing awareness of the risks that Israel faces from the likes of Hizbullah and Iran, as well as appreciation for the success of the Arrow program.

"We welcome this important decision by the House Appropriations Committee," Israel's Ambassador to the US Sallai Meridor told The Jerusalem Post. "This would support Israel's efforts to defend itself against the growing missile threats in the Middle East."



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