The United States plans to provide Israel with its most extensive military aid package in history, reports say.

The US Assistant Secretary of State, Andrew J. Shapiro claims that the increased US military assistance should help Tel Aviv reach tough decisions in peace talks with the Palestinians.

He said that there is "hope that the administration’s expanded commitment to Israel’s security will advance the process by helping the Israeli people seize this opportunity and take the tough decisions necessary for a comprehensive peace," Haaretz reported.

Speaking at the Brookings Institution’s Saban Center for Middle East Policy in Washington, D.C., Shapiro said that the US plans to bolster Israel’s security by providing funding for the Iron Dome anti-missile systems.

Washington also plans to sell Israel’s new fighter jets.

Shapiro said that since Israel is facing some of the toughest challenges in its history, US President Barack Obama administration has asked Congress for nearly $2.775 billion in security assistance funding "specifically for Israel" in 2010.

"It is the largest such request in US history," he added.

(Press TV)