Washington, April 28 (RHC)-- The United States government has responded to Senate pressure by pledging that it is going to offer its "largest ever" military aid package to Israel.  A White House official noted that aid will be "the largest single pledge of military assistance to any country in U.S. history."

The pledge for more military aid to Israel came in response to a bipartisan letter by 83 U.S. senators to President Barack Obama, urging him to address Israeli demands more weapons and ammunition.

The lawmakers were led by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Democratic Senator Chris Coon. Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who is a 2016 presidential candidate, was among the 51 Republican lawmakers who signed the letter.  However, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is challenging former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential race, refused to be one of the 32 Democrats on board. 

The U.S. and Israel have been engaged in intense negotiations in recent months to outline U.S. military aid to Israel for the next 10 years.  Washington has been providing the Israeli regime with $3.1 billion annually since a 2007 agreement with the George W. Bush administration.  But Tel Aviv has indicated that it wants $4 billion to $4.5 billion in aid as part of a new agreement that will go into effect from 2018.