Israel To Change Arms Purchases TEL- TWELVE MALL SOUTHFIELD 313 -355-3660 HAS MORE Q : WHO BUYING POWER THAN A LAWYER? 'Where You Come First" Kosins Clothes Southfield Road at 1 1 1/2 Mile 559-6930 Israel is the largest recipient of FMF funds. ANSWER: 30,000 Lawyers. And there's no better way to reach those potential cusomers than Michigan Lawyers Weekly. Lawyers purchase everything from com- puters to office space, from cars to travel services. Plus every attorney has clients that trust them for advice and referrals. You can tap into this lucrative market because attorneys use Michigan Lawyers Weekly - it's part of their practice. MAKE YOUR ADVERTISING DOLLAR WORK FOR YOU DESIGNS UNLIMITED "THE FINEST IN CUSTOM CABINETS FOR HOME OR OFFICE' Showroom hours: Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat. 11-3 or by appointment. 624-7300 YOUR FRIENDS KNOW US . YOU SHOULD TOO! SAVE 15-25% All Custom Frames FRAMERY ONE EAVYERSWEEKLY 1-800-678-5297 108 Washington (JTA) — Begin- ning next year, Israel may be facing major changes in how it buys its defense equipment from the United States. The Pentagon announced earlier this summer that as of January 1994, it would end the commercial sales channel of the Foreign Military Financing pro- gram, under which Israel buys a substantial part of its equipment. FMF is a program assisting U.S. allies in buy- David Obey: ing weapons and other Advocates aid reform. defense equipment, gen- erally from the United purchases were through States. commercial channels. Currently, some FMF Certain types of equip- recipients, such as Israel and ment, Ms. Yaron said, can Egypt, can go through either only be obtained through a government channel, in commercial channels. which the U.S. government Israeli officials have raised buys desired items on behalf the issue with U.S. officials, of the recipient, or a com- and Ms. Yaron said the mercial channel, in which Americans were "sympa- the foreign government thetic to Israel's needs. engages in direct commer- cial contracts with suppliers. Ms. Yaron said that the Israel is the largest reci- Israelis would ultimately pient of FMF funds, with an like a solution under which annual grant of $1.8 billion exceptions to the govern- per year. ment-channel policy could be The Israeli government is currently hoping an ar- rangement can be worked out with the U.S govern- ment that would enable it to continue purchasing certain items through commercial channels, according to Ruth Yaron, the Israeli Embassy spokeswoman here. Ms. Yaron said that about one-third of Israel's FMF made, at the discretion of the purchases are currently go- U.S. administration. ing through commercial The Israelis have "no com- channels. "We attach great plaint or disagreement" importance to that," she with the Americans on the said. issue, Ms. Yaron said. Israel is concerned that if Some in the pro-Israel it is barred from buying community expressed con- equipment through commer- cern that the new policy rep- resents a real problem, and cial channels, it will not be able to purchase some of the could dramatically affect the equipment it needs. Certain methods by which Israel buys its military equipment. equipment is not available through the government, But others played down the importance of the Pen- and some that is available is cheaper when purchased tagon announcement, saying through commercial either that a compromise channels. would be worked out or that the policy would eventually A recent congressional not be implemented at all. report said that Israel allocated over half, or about The Pentagon announced 60 percent, of its FMF pur- this past June that it was chases to the commercial planning to terminate the commercial channel. channel during the 1992 fiscal year. According to a Pentagon The report said the figure statement, the decision was did represent a large drop made in part because of con- from earlier years, during gressional criticism of the program. which almost all of Israel's 31596 Grand River Farmington 474-7070 AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY' Help us keep winning.