US to Advance Billion-Dollar Arms Sale to Israel

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Facts

  • The Biden administration reportedly notified congressional leaders Tuesday that it will proceed with plans to sell more than $1B of weapons to Israel. The commitment, revealed by three congressional aides, comes a week after the White House paused shipments of 2K-pound bombs to Israel.[1]
  • First reported by the Wall Street Journal, the new arms package will include $700M in tank ammunition, $500M in tactical vehicles, and $60M in mortar rounds. Meanwhile, 3.5K large bombs remain withheld from Israel as it launches its ground offensive in Rafah.[2]
  • National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said that the bombs shouldn’t be “dropped in densely populated cities,” such as Rafah — where more than 1M Palestinians had been sheltering. This comes as Congress recently approved $26B in aid for Israel.[3]
  • While it will likely take years for the arms to be delivered, its approval is a symbol of the White House’s support for Israel, which has come under increased scrutiny from the left and right.[4]
  • Meanwhile, House Republicans are continuing to push a bill that would require the White House to send arms shipments and condemn Biden’s Israel policy despite the new weapons deal.[5]
  • Biden said he would veto the bill, which is unlikely to pass in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Meanwhile, 26 House Democrats condemned Biden’s decision to withhold bomb shipments, while many Democrats oppose additional aid to Israel.[4]

Sources: [1]Associated Press, [2]CNBC, [3]Wall Street Journal, [4]Haaretz.com and [5]ABC News.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Daily Wire. After receiving bipartisan pushback for sending mixed signals about support for Israel, the Biden administration is taking half-measures to reaffirm his support for Washington's greatest ally. He has made an already-tenuous situation even worse by sending mixed signals and flip-flopping with his rhetoric.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by MSNBC. The war in Gaza has created a unique situation for the Biden administration to navigate, yet the president continues to take measures that reaffirm support for Israel while showing solidarity with Palestinian civilians. The White House remains steadfast in its support for the US’ ally, but it is also drawing common sense lines.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Common Dreams. The Biden administration is feckless in even exerting minor pushback against Israel’s immoral campaign in Gaza, and is giving $1B in weapons less than a week after drawing a line in the sand. Israel completely disregarded repeated requests to not invade Rafah, and its defiance was barely met with resistance. Biden continues to capitulate to Israel’s demands while the IDF kills thousands of Palestinians, doubling down on his moral failures.

Predictions