The United States State Department has “informally” notified Congress of a proposed arms deal worth $8 billion with Israel: munitions for fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery shells. The deal aims to support Israel’s long-range security through the resupply of critical munitions and air defense capabilities. It was added by Joseph Biden saying that the citizens of Israel have an inherent right to defend against aggression by Iran and its proxies.
Proposed sale with pending congressional approval includes AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, 155mm artillery shells, small diameter bombs, 500-pound warheads, bomb fuzes, and other related equipment. Munitions delivery will be from current U.S. stocks and however, the great majority will take one or more years to produce and deliver.
Also Read: Biden Blocks $14B Sale of US Steel to Nippon Steel
The United States is facing disparagement by giving military assistance to Israel after the killings of over 45,650, mostly women and children, in the Gaza Strip since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas. According to Israeli figures, close to 1,200 were killed as a direct result of the actual cross-border attack. Several human rights groups including former State Department officials and Democratic lawmakers have called on the Biden administration to halt arms transfers to Israel for breach of U.S. laws in addition to international laws and human rights.
The Leahy Law stipulates that if any credible evidence of any kind of human rights violations happens, the US government will cut military assistance to that foreign military or law enforcement unit.