US Approves $20B of Arms Sales to Israel
Facts
- The US approved $20B of arms sales to Israel, the State Department announced on Tuesday.[1]
- The package includes as many as 50 F-15 fighter jets, 30 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles, in addition to a number of tactical vehicles and munitions for tanks and mortars. Congress was notified of the sale.[2]
- In a statement, the State Department said: 'The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives.'[1]
- It came as Israel expects retaliation from Iran and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah following the assassinations of high-level Hamas and Hezbollah officials, sparking fears over the possibility of a wider regional war.[3]
- The announcement also comes as critics called on the US to restrict weapons sales to Israel following its attacks on Gaza that its health ministry says has killed close to 40K people.[3]
- The State Department said the weapons are not expected to arrive in Israel anytime soon, with sales consisting of contracts that will take years to fulfill.[1]
Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]CBS and [3]Al Jazeera.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Associated Press. The US is a committed ally of Israel and it is in the interests of the US to maintain Israel's strong national defense capabilities, particularly at a time when there are fears of a new regional conflict.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Despite Israel's many violations of international law, America's rewarding of Israel with this weapons package sends all the wrong signals. It only encourages further criminality and stokes the fires of an already-tense political situation.