President Barak Obama�s fiscal year 2010 budget request for $2.775 billion in military aid to Israel is proceeding smoothly through the Congress.

On June 17, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs held a �mark-up� session on the budget. The subcommittee came under pressure from an antiwar group that sought to suspend or condition foreign aid over Israel�s use of US weapons which left 3000 Palestinians dead during the Bush administration. The subcommittee held its session in a tiny Capitol room denying activists and members of the press access. The budget quickly passed and is now before the full House Appropriations Committee.

Israel enjoys �unusually wide latitude in spending the [military assistance] funds,� according to the Wall Street Journal.