The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it plans to move forward on a new $1 billion sale of arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides say. It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be pushed ahead since the administration put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs of up to 2,000 pounds each, on hold this month. The Biden administration, citing concern for civilian casualties in Gaza, has said it paused that bomb transfer to keep Israel from using those particular munitions in its offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Quick Read
- New $1 Billion Arms Sale to Israel: The Biden administration has informed key lawmakers of its intention to proceed with a $1 billion arms sale to Israel. This includes $700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles, and $60 million in mortar rounds.
- Previous Arms Transfer Paused: This announcement follows a recent decision to pause a separate transfer of heavy bombs to Israel due to concerns about potential civilian casualties in Gaza, specifically in Rafah.
- Congressional Review Process: The notification to Congress is not the final step for the sale. It is a preliminary notice, and the actual delivery of weapons may take years. The House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can block the sale by placing a hold.
- Political Implications: The arms sale has stirred debate within the U.S., drawing criticism from both Democrats concerned about Palestinian civilian casualties and Republicans advocating strong support for Israel. The debate is intensified by the backdrop of President Biden’s reelection campaign.
- Legislative Actions: House Republicans are responding by pushing legislation that would mandate the continuation of offensive weapons deliveries to Israel. The White House has stated President Biden would veto such a bill, which faces little chance of passing in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
- Administration’s Stance: Despite the pause on certain munitions, the Biden administration reaffirms its commitment to Israel’s defense needs. The administration stresses the need to ensure that specific types of American weapons are not used for certain operations in specific locations.
The Associated Press has the story:
Biden admin is moving ahead on new $1B arms sale to Israel, Congressional aides say
Newslooks- WASHINGTON (AP) —
The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it plans to move forward on a new $1 billion sale of arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides say.
It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be pushed ahead since the administration put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs of up to 2,000 pounds each, on hold this month. The Biden administration, citing concern for civilian casualties in Gaza, has said it paused that bomb transfer to keep Israel from using those particular munitions in its offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah.
The new package disclosed Tuesday includes about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, the congressional aides said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an arms transfer that has not yet been made public.
The administration’s notice to lawmakers this week isn’t the final, formal notification before a sale, one of the congressional aides said. It would be an entirely new sale, meaning any weapons may take years to be delivered, the aide said.
Once a transfer is informally notified to Congress, the leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can block it by placing a hold on the package, and the State Department generally will not proceed if that occurs.
The Biden administration has come under criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over its military support for Israel’s now seven-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza — at a time when President Joe Biden is battling for reelection against former President Donald Trump.
Some of Biden’s fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit transfers of offensive weapons to Israel to pressure the U.S. ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. Protests on college campuses around the U.S. have driven home the message this spring.
Republican lawmakers have seized on the administration’s pause on the bomb transfers, saying any lessening of U.S. support for Israel — its closest ally in the Middle East — weakens that country as it fights Hamas and other Iran-backed groups. In the House, they are planning to advance a bill this week to mandate the delivery of offensive weaponry for Israel.
Despite the onetime suspension of a bomb shipment, Biden and administration officials have made clear they will continue other weapons deliveries and overall military support to Israel, which is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid.
Biden will see to it that “Israel has all of the military means it needs to defend itself against all of its enemies, including Hamas,” national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Monday. “For him, this is very straightforward: He’s going to continue to provide Israel with all of capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that.”
The Wall Street Journal first reported the plans for the $1 billion weapons package to Israel.
In response to House Republicans’ plan to move forward with a bill to mandate the delivery of offensive weapons for Israel, the White House said Tuesday that Biden would veto the bill if it were to pass Congress.
The bill has practically no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But House Democrats are somewhat divided on the issue, and roughly two dozen have signed onto a letter to the Biden administration saying they were “deeply concerned about the message” sent by pausing the bomb shipment.
One of the letter’s signers, New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, said he would likely vote for the bill, despite the White House’s opposition.
“I have a general rule of supporting pro-Israel legislation unless it includes a poison pill — like cuts to domestic policy,” he said.
In addition to the written veto threat, the White House has been in touch with various lawmakers and congressional aides about the legislation, according to an administration official.
“We strongly, strongly oppose attempts to constrain the President’s ability to deploy U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week, adding that the administration plans to spend “every last cent” appropriated by Congress in the national security supplemental package that was signed into law by Biden last month.
