The recent decision to delay the sale of precision weapons to Israel has sparked questions about the United States’ intentions to limit its weapon supply to its main ally in the Middle East. The American administration’s move comes as Israel’s plan to attack the southern city of Rafah in Gaza has been rejected. Despite criticism of the death toll and destruction caused by US-supplied weapons in Gaza, the White House has resisted calls to limit arms sales to Israel.
The proposed sale of up to 6,500 JDAM munition systems worth up to $260 million has been stalled since Congress first learned about it in January. The Biden administration has not moved forward with the deal, raising concerns about the reasons behind the delay. The State Department is required to notify Congress about arms sales to other countries above a specific dollar threshold, but in the case of the JDAM systems, the official announcement was never made.
The delay of the JDAM systems, if intentional, could be seen as a significant step by the administration amidst ongoing clashes in Gaza. The administration has also not advanced the process of notifying Congress about additional billion-dollar arms deals to Israel, including tank ammunition, military vehicles, and mortar bombs. Pressure is mounting on the administration to reduce weapon supply to Israel and ensure civilians’ protection in Gaza.
Protests on college campuses across America have intensified over President Biden’s support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, including arms sales. Despite ongoing criticism from some sectors of society, including human rights activists and politicians who oppose Israeli policies towards Palestinians, President Biden has maintained his commitment towards Israel as a key ally and strategic partner.
As tensions between Israel and Palestine continue to rise, pressure on President Biden is mounting from various quarters – both domestically and internationally – to reconsider his stance on weapon supplies and foreign aid towards Israel. However, whether or not he will take any concrete steps remains uncertain at this point.
Amidst growing internal political pressure and protests against its support for Israeli actions in Gaza, including arms sales, President Biden must now decide whether or not he will continue down this path with Israel as a key ally or reassess his approach altogether.