Two Democrats in the U.S. Congress, Representative Gregory Meeks, and Senator Ben Cardin have agreed to support a major arms sale to Israel, which includes 50 F-15 fighter jets worth over $18 billion. This decision comes after they had initially held up the sale.
Following Intense Pressure from the Biden Administration; Two Key Democratic Members of Congress, Representative Gregory W. Meeks of New York and Senator Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland have finally Relented and Signed-Off on an over $18 Billion Arms Deal to Israel which will… pic.twitter.com/J1WE4cBCFX [1]
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 18, 2024 [2]
The Washington Post [3] reported on Monday that both lawmakers signed off on the deal under pressure from the Biden administration. According to the report, Eric Harris, the communications director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stated that any issues or concerns Chair Cardin had were addressed through ongoing consultations with the administration.
🇺🇸🇮🇱US TO LIFT WEAPONS TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS TO ISRAEL
US Secretary of State Blinken reportedly promised Netanyahu that Washington will remove all restrictions on weapons transfers to Israel in the coming days.
Netanyahu argued that the slowed aid benefits Iran and its… pic.twitter.com/9XlYZ3ilQM [4]
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) June 18, 2024 [5]
Representative Meeks mentioned that he had been in close contact with the White House and had encouraged pressure on Israel regarding humanitarian efforts and civilian casualties. He also noted that the F-15s would not be delivered for “years from now,” as reported by the Washington Post.
Efforts to obtain comments from the lawmakers’ offices were not immediately successful.
This move comes as Joe Biden faces pressure from some members of his own Democratic party over his support for Israel amidst the ongoing Gaza conflict, in which, allegedly, more than 37,000 Palestinians have been killed and nearly the entire 2.3 million population displaced in the last eight months. Biden has simultaneously called for a ceasefire while funding both sides of the conflict.