But it is not the passions of the Arab world that threaten to be inflamed by the Israeli request.

Australia was the only nation to approve the Israeli request.

The new Israeli request is in addition to this annual aid.

But the very suddenness and haste of the Israeli request make plain what is really at stake.

He said the bill was put forward on Friday, the same day as the Israeli request, which was under study.

He did complain that the original Israeli request for $1 billion was "outlandish."

The scale of the Israeli requests apparently surprised some Administration officials.

The Israeli request did not meet that test, he said.

He appeared to have no agenda more subtle than trying to hold down Federal spending by putting the Israeli request into a nonemergency category.

Bush Administration officials did not immediately respond to the Israeli request since military action against Iraq has been deferred.