President Obama has requested $3.1 billion in military aid to Israel as part of his budget for fiscal year 2013.

The budget, released on Feb. 13,  proposes fulfilling the fifth year of a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) entered into in 2007 by the United States and Israel.

The MOU, signed under President George W. Bush and implemented by bot the Bush and Obama administrations, outlined America’s enduring security commitment to Israel as the Jewish state faces increased threats.

Israel finds it increasingly difficult to keep pace with the challenges of a potential nuclear-armed Iran, military buildups by the terrorist groups Hamas and Hizballah and growing regional instability and uncertainty.

Israel spends more on defense as a percentage of GDP than any Western country and nearly double that of the United States.