...Leahy, truth must be told, was not going to hurt Israel financially. It would have gotten the aid one way or the other. However, he did try to downgrade it in many other ways, some very technical, some symbolic. One example: he sought to change the word Shall to Should wherever the bill says that Israel "Shall" get money. This might seem insignificant to people unfamiliar and not attuned to the legislative process, but it is not. Status symbols that have been in the bill for quite a while now are a serious business. And friends of Israel, in the committee and outside of it, reacted in astonishment to this bold trial by Leahy to use his power and introduce such changes at the last minute...