Israel Concerned About Cuts in US Military Aid to Egypt

Officials believe it's essential to maintaining stability in the region

Officials and experts in Israel responded on Wednesday with a mixture of disappointment and alarm to the news that the United States planned to reduce its military aid to Egypt in response to this summer's brutal crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and the continuing violence it has spawned.

Israel views the aid as part and parcel of its 1979 peace treaty with Egypt, and essential to the maintenance of stability in the region.

Israel has been involved in the Obama administration's discussions on the cuts. Israeli officials refused to comment publicly on the matter on Wednesday, in part because there had been no official announcement yet from Washington.