U.S. Ambassador Dan Shapiro being briefed on the status of U.S.-Israeli missile defense cooperation in September, 2011. Photo: wiki commons.

Earlier this week, President Obama released his annual budget proposal.  Cuts in defense spending and tax reform were two of the central themes but it is the cut to spending on Israeli missile defense that has the Republican Jewish Coalition unhappy.

“Pres. Obama proposes slashing funds for military aid specifically for Israel’s missile defense program, a joint U.S.-Israel effort over many years. This dramatic funding cut (18% below his 2011 request) would leave Israel vulnerable at a time when Israel faces serious rocket threats from Hamas in Gaza and from Hezbollah in Lebanon, and a growing nuclear threat from Iran. At this dangerous time, no true friend of Israel would talk about cutting funding to our joint missile defense programs with Israel,” RJC Director Matt Brooks said in an e-mail to reporters on Friday.

As The Algemeiner and other publications have pointed out, Congress is expected to provide the funding to make up for the drop in missile defense spending.

The State Department request, which is separate from the White House budget, for over $3 billion of foreign assistance to Israel is the largest such request in American history, for any country, and is part of a decade long agreement signed between the U.S. and Israel in 2007.

Today the RJC released a video entitled “Security”, pointing out the coalition’s displeasure with the White House budget proposal.  You can watch the video below.