The Biden Administration invoked a legal mechanism to provide Israel with 14,000 tank shells that its military needs to replenish its supply after two months of fighting in Gaza. President Joe Biden made the move after a new appropriation for such aid to Israel was stalled in the US Congress because opposition Republican lawmakers are blocking other things that Biden wanted.
So, the US Department of Defense utilized a clause in the Arms Export Control Act to sell 13,981 tank cartridges, worth $106.5 million to Israel. This, however, was far short of the 45,000 shells the US agreed to provide Israel.
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at office@jewishbusinessnews.com.
Thank you.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin siad that on spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant and “stressed Israel’s right to self-defense and the importance of mitigating civilian harm, increasing humanitarian assistance, and curbing extremist violence in the West Bank.”
Austin said that he “also expressed concern over cross-border attacks along the Israel-Lebanon border and Houthi aggression in the Red Sea.”
“Israel will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense,” the Pentagon said.
“The Secretary of State determined and provided detailed justification to Congress that an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale to the Government of Israel of the above defense articles and services in the national security interests of the United States, thereby waiving the Congressional review requirements under Section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act, as amended,” said a release from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.
On Saturday US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met with the Foreign Ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye, as well as a Palestinian Authority senior official, as part of a delegation representing the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Secretary Blinken reaffirmed the United States’ support for Israel’s right to ensure Hamas can never repeat the October 7 attacks as well as the urgency of addressing humanitarian needs in Gaza, protecting Palestinian civilians from harm, preventing displacement, and containing further spread of the conflict.
