Israel wants American aid for Gaza Strip pullout
Israel will ask the US for supplemental aid to help pay for its planned pullout from the Gaza Strip, Vice-Premier Shimon Peres said in Jerusalem today.
But he denied a report that the administration has hinted it would grant hundreds of millions of dollars to help carry out the operation.
Israel plans to evacuate all 21 Jewish settlements from the Gaza Strip and four small communities in the West Bank this summer. Thousands of security personnel will be involved in the operation, which also includes dismantling Israeli military facilities in the areas.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said she was unaware of any specific Israeli request for pullout help.
“I don’t know what’s being suggested and so it is a little hard in the abstract to know,” she said.
Peres’ comments came after he met American Vice President Richard Cheney and other administration officials during a visit to Washington this week.
“I naturally requested aid not only for Gaza but also for the (Israeli regions of) the Galilee and the Negev,” he told Israel Radio.
“The approach was positive, but I was also careful not to throw numbers around without any good reason.”
Peres denied an Israeli newspaper report that the US has indicated it would give the Israeli military a grant of €355.4m to help carry out the pullout.
He added that any supplemental assistance – over and above the annual aid package of €2.3bn – would come up for discussion in September at the earliest.
“I don’t think Israel asked for this (money) and I don’t think the US gave an answer,” he said.
The agency overseeing the withdrawal said it would cost an estimated €1.4bn.
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