Netanyahu Dismisses Reports About Failed Chance to Get More Military Aid From US

The Israeli prime minister dismissed media reports alleging that Washington would have provided more aid for the Middle Eastern country if Benjamin Netanyahu had had better relations with US President Barack Obama.

TEL AVIV (Sputnik) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday dismissed media speculations stating that Israel failed to get more military aid from Washington in the framework of the recently signed bilateral memorandum of understanding (MOU) due to his poor personal relations with US President Barack Obama.

"I hear all kinds of background noise and disinformation about the agreement. I would like to make it clear: we have never been offered more. We have not been offered more money, not even one dollar, and we have never been offered advanced technologies. These are distortions and fabrications… and, this is the saddest thing of all, that it is ingratitude to our greatest and best friend, the United States," Netanyahu said at a weekly cabinet meeting.

On September 14, the United States signed a 10-year $38 billion security MOU with Israel that represents the largest single bilateral pledge of defense aid in US history. The agreement consists of $33 billion in foreign military financing and $5 billion in missile defense. The MOU is set to go into effect from fiscal year 2019 through 2028, replacing the previous MOU, which granted Israel $3.1 billion annually.

After the agreement had been signed, Netanyahu faced intense criticism from his political rivals, claiming that his political disagreements with US President Barack Obama had led to a dramatic cut in the amount of the US military aid.

The Obama administration has recently been at odds with the government of Israel, especially with respect to the Iran nuclear agreement, which Tel Aviv has adamantly opposed.

The United States, for its part, has repeatedly condemned settlement activity by Israel in the West Bank which Washington believes undermines efforts to find a two-state solution with Palestine.