A significant arms deal to Israel, which included fifty F-15 fighter planes valued at more than $18 billion, was approved by two influential Democrats in the US Congress, according to a Washington Post story published on Monday that cited three unidentified US sources.
Israeli Purchase of F-15 Jets:
Senior Democrats who had taken the unprecedented step of refusing to give in gave in to pressure from the Biden administration and permitted the sale of weapons for billions of dollars.
Multiple persons familiar with the sale have confirmed that the Biden administration’s plan to sell $18 billion worth of F-15 fighter fighters to Israel is proceeding after two prominent Democratic holdouts in Congress approved the agreement.
One of the most significant U.S. weaponry sales to Israel in recent memory, Representative Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the senior Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, has withdrawn his hold on the agreement. Meeks had openly opposed the transfer, noting Israel’s behavior during its operation in Gaza. Mr. Meeks said that the deal would take years to finalize and that he supported the Biden administration’s choice to hold off on selling more weapons.
Regarding this and other arms cases for Israel, I have kept close contact with the White House and National Security Council. Mr. Meeks said in a statement that he has repeatedly urged the administration to keep pressuring Israel to make significant and tangible improvements on all fronts when it comes to humanitarian efforts and limiting civilian casualties.
Along with prominent Republicans who had previously supported the idea months ago, Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, a Democrat from Maryland and the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, also consented to move the agreement forward. Cardin had been reluctant to sign off on it but had never declared openly that he was obstructing it.
The State Department may officially alert Congress of the sale, the last stage before finalizing the deal, as the informal consultation process with Congress ends. Regarding the weaponry orders, the department did not respond to inquiries about when it would provide the official announcement.
When it comes to Israel, congressional approval of arms shipments has nearly always been guaranteed. This changed in the last several months as American apprehension over Israel’s handling of the conflict against Hamas grew and as congressional Democrats increasingly signaled that they might use their power over arms supplies to force Israel to alter its strategy.
Mr. Meeks made a dramatic U-turn by caving into the Biden administration’s pressure. He had previously been vocal in his criticism of the agreement, expressing his dissatisfaction with Israel’s actions in the conflict, which have resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and contributed to the hunger crisis in Gaza.
In an April CNN interview, Mr. Meeks stated, “I don’t want the kinds of weapons that Israel has to be utilized to have more death.” “I want to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid. I want no one to die of starvation. Additionally, I want Hamas to free the hostages.
“I will make that determination once I see what those assurances are,” he responded when asked if he would delay the sale of the planes.
On Monday, Mr. Meeks did not clarify if he had gotten those guarantees.
Several vocal MPs can voice their concerns before the deal is finalized and accepted. The purchase, including up to 50 planes and taking many years to deliver, may encounter difficulties.
In January, the F-15 order was notified informally by the State Department to the House Foreign Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee. These committees have the right to examine the department over the receiving nation’s intended use of the weapons during the informal assessment process. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho and Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, the two leading Republicans on those panels, gave their instant approval.
A representative for Mr. Cardin stated that all issues had been resolved by the administration and that the review process for the order had followed the standard discussion procedure.
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