Focus U.S.A / As Midterms Near, Israel Is Again A Battleground For U.S. Politicians

[Purveyor]

By Natasha Mozgovaya Tags: Israel news US

America's financial aid to Israel has once again become a political football in Washington as the United States prepares to vote in midterm congressional elections next month.

Eric Cantor, the only Jewish Republican in the U.S. Congress and the minority whip in the lower House of Representatives, this week proposed reclassifying aid to Israel away from the national foreign aid budget to the defense budget.

Behind the initiative, Cantor says, is a wider attempt to cancel U.S. aid to countries who do not share American interests, a cry echoing round Republican campaign meetings – accompanied, of course, by strenuous denials of any attempt to buy votes.

According to Cantor, funds to Israel need to be ring-fenced in case Congress votes down aid packages for other foreign allies.

Some democrats reacted angrily to the move. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-New York), attacked Cantor's scheme, calling it "irresponsible" and saying it threatened to destroy bipartisan cooperation on aid to Israel and foreign assistance in general.

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http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/focus-u-s-a/focus-u-s-a-as-midterms-near-israel-is-again-a-battleground-for-u-s-politicians-1.321305