As the likelihood of an attack on Iraq increases and the economic recession continues, the focus on our relationship with Israel will undoubtedly shine brighter. Let's examine the facts. A Congressional Issue Brief written on Dec. 18, 2002 reported the following facts about U.S. aid to Israel: "U.S. aid to Israel has some unique aspects, such as loans with repayments waived, or a pledge to provide Israel with economic assistance equal to the amount Israel owes the United States for previous loans" (p. 3).

For the 2003 budget, the administration originally requested (and received approval for) $2.1 billion in military aid to Israel, a slight increase over previous years. On Dec. 17, 2002, the Prime Minister of Israel requested $4 billion in additional military grants (above the $2.1 already approved) to prepare for the possible war with Iraq.

President Bush responded favorably to the request. Quietly, the Israeli government began negotiations with the Bush administration two weeks ago on an even larger request for an additional $7 billion in military aid.

The Bush administration has promised that the new aid package would not be tied to Israeli cooperation with any U.S.-led military attack on Iraq. Without the additional request, U.S. taxpayers are already paying $5.8 million per day to support Israel's military.

The possible tripling of aid to Israel during an ongoing economic recession here at home, when hundreds of thousands of Americans are losing their jobs and federal and state programs are being significantly cut, makes it important that we closely examine how that aid is being used and whether such support is justifiable.