Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to conclude a new 10-year deal on US aid to Israel before US President Barack Obama leaves office in January 2017, a senior government official told Haaretz newspaper.

The official said Netanyahu stressed this point during a meeting in his office on Wednesday with visiting Republican senators and representatives.

The Republican delegation was headed by Sen. Lindsey Graham, who dropped out of his party’s presidential primary a few months ago. 

During the meeting, Graham told Netanyahu that signing the deal before Obama left office would be the right thing to do.

Netanyahu told the visiting congressmen that one of the reasons he wants to close the aid deal with Obama relates to how Americans will view Israel over the next decade. 

Signing a deal with Obama, a Democrat, he explained, would send the message for many years to come that Israel is not a subject of political controversy in America and in fact has bipartisan support. 

Source : MENA