The Biden administration is moving forward with a $680 million weapons package for Israel as the US continues to fuel Israel’s onslaught in Gaza.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that the administration has notified Congress of its intention to go ahead with the arms deal for Israel, which includes Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) bomb kits and small-diameter bombs.
It’s unclear how the deal will be financed, but it will likely be paid for with US military aid. The US provides Israel with a form of aid known as Foreign Military Financing (FMF), which provides foreign governments with money to purchase US-made weapons.
Last month, Israel signed a $5.2 billion contract with Boeing to purchase 25 F-15 fighter jets in a deal that’s being financed by US military aid.
Brown University’s Costs of War Project said in a report last month that US support for Israel over the past year had cost US taxpayers at least $22.76. The total includes $17.9 billion in direct military aid and $4.8 billion in spending on US military operations in support of Israel, including the bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen.
President Biden has provided Israel with more aid than any other American president in history, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been complaining about the pace of the deliveries.
“It is no secret that there have been big delays in weapons and munitions deliveries,” Netanyahu said while announcing plans for a Lebanon ceasefire on Tuesday. “These delays will be resolved soon. We will receive supplies of advanced weaponry that will keep our soldiers safe and give us more strike force to complete our mission.”
While the Lebanon ceasefire appears to be holding relatively well, the daily slaughter in Gaza continues. US foreign assistance laws prohibit providing military aid to countries that intentionally block humanitarian aid and commit human rights violations with US weapons, making the continued armed shipments illegal.
Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced legislation to block several arms sales to Israel on the basis that they were illegal. His effort failed to pass the Senate but received more support than expected. One of the resolutions received support from 19 senators, 17 Democrats, and two independents.
