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Postpones aid talks { February 11 2003 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=261476&sw=+Dov+Weisglass http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=261476&sw=+Dov+Weisglass Tuesday, February 11, 2003 Adar1 9, 5763 Last update - 12:28 11/02/2003 U.S. postpones talks on aid package to next Thursday By Moti Bassok and Aluf Benn, Haaretz Correspondents, and Lior Kagan The discussions between the United States and senior Israeli officials on an aid package Israel is requesting from the U.S. were postponed by a week to next Thursday due to technical reasons, the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement Tuesday. The talks are to conclude the same day and the issue will be brought for final approval before senior U.S. administration officials, the statement said. The Israeli officials, including head of the Prime Minister's Office, Dov Weisglass and Director-General of the Finance Ministry, Ohad Marani were to depart Tuesday night. Israel has asked for $4 billion in defense aid and $8 billion in loan guarantees over the next four years. After several rounds of talks, estimates in Israel were that the matter would be decided upon soon, with the U.S. responding positively to Israel's request and most of the funds arriving by the spring. Before the cancelation, senior government officials in Jerusalem said the United States administration asked to hold the meeting now, since it wanted to submit the package to Congress for approval in the near future. The Israeli delegation was to show the administration the government's economic program for the coming year and its proposals for structural reform of the economy. According to the Israeli sources, the loan guarantees will enable Israel to raise $32 billion in overseas loans, which will be used for investment in infrastructure, including roads, railroads, communications and energy. As with the loan guarantees that Israel received from the United States in 1992, every dollar that Israel spends on the settlements will be deducted from that year's guarantees. But the government sources said these deductions will be minimal, since currently there is nearly no government investment in the settlements. In the 1990s, there was a great deal of investment over the Green Line, because about one-quarter of the new immigrants who arrived during the decade chose to settle there, according to one of the sources. "But today, that doesn't exist," he said. © Copyright 2003 Haaretz. All rights reserved

Aid decision withheld Israel aid shink 17m Israel asks 10b Israel requests 15b { January 3 2003 } Opposes aid Postpones aid talks { February 11 2003 } Us israel aid { April 14 2002 } Files Listed: 7

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