The US State Department has categorically denied reports that US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson is seeking to retrieve $75 million in aid provided to Israel.
According to a report in the Washington Free Beacon, Tillerson cited last year’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by former President Obama and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, laying out American aid for Israel over the next decade.
The MOU stipulated that Israel would not request any additional aid above the $3.8 billion a year it receives under the agreement. However, Congress dismissed the clause preventing Israel from requesting additional aid and pledged an additional $75 million in a bipartisan vote.
According to the Beacon report, Secretary Tillerson was aiming to contest this extra funding package, with the aim of enforcing last year’s MOU.
A State Department spokesperson reached out to Arutz Sheva to clarify that the report is completely false, and that the Trump Administration is committed to ensuring that Israel receives all of the aid allotted by Congress.
“Israel is a valued ally. The Administration is committed to ensuring that Israel receives the assistance that has been appropriated by Congress,” the official stated.