The Biden administration is once again bypassing Congress on arms sales to Israel
The Biden administration is bypassing Congress for an arms sale to Israel for the second time since the Gaza war began, a move that comes amid growing anger at the United States over its support for Israel as the death toll in Gaza rises and the misery spreads. .
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said late Friday that it had approved a proposed $147.5 million sale of artillery ammunition and related equipment to Israel, invoking a stopgap provision that avoids a congressional review process typically required for arms sales to other countries. The ministry this month used the same provision to facilitate a government sale of about 13,000 tank munitions to Israel.
That earlier case marked the first time the State Department has invoked the emergency provision for an arms shipment to the Middle East since May 2019, when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates , a move that lawmakers and some career officials within the State Department criticized.
The State Department has also used the emergency facility at least twice since 2022 to send weapons to Ukraine to defend against the Russian invasion.
As casualties in the Gaza war rise, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has faced increasing pressure from the United States to reduce the intensity of the conflict, but he said last week that Israel would end the fighting in the coming days. deepen”.
In turn, criticism of the United States is increasing as international calls for a ceasefire increase. The United Nations Security Council this month adopted a resolution calling for more aid to reach civilians in Gaza, but did not impose a ceasefire to gain support from Washington.
The State Department said in a statement Friday that Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken had “provided Congress with a detailed justification that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to Israel.”
“The United States is committed to Israel’s security, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to help Israel develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said. “This proposed sale is consistent with these objectives.”
“It is the duty of all countries to use ammunition in accordance with international humanitarian law,” it added.
Israeli airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza have killed more than 20,000 people, according to the enclave’s health ministry. The war began on October 7 when Hamas launched cross-border attacks in Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, according to Israeli authorities.