[Editor's note: Surprise NOT! It doesn't hurt to have an Israeli agent, Rep. Nina Lowey, chairing the subcommittee. How very considerate of her and the committee to give the former Gaza settlers $40 million of US taxpayers money. Let's see how the mainstream media reports this. -- Jeffrey Blankfort]

Congressional appropriators approved economic assistance to Israel.

The foreign operations subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee this week referred $2.4 billion in defense aid and an additional $40 million in refugee settlement assistance to the full committee. The bill has bipartisan support.

The United States has phased out civilian economic aid to Israel, now considered a robust economy not needing such assistance.

Source: JTA