Biden’s huge US – BIDEN compensation for the ceasefire in Lebanon (Photo IDF Spokesperson)
In a swift and decisive move, the State Department has formally notified Congress of its intent to push forward with over $8 billion in weapons sales to Israel—sidestepping an ongoing informal review in a House committee. The announcement comes just 48 hours after President Donald Trump’s high-stakes meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, during which he boldly declared that the United States would “take over” the war-ravaged Gaza Strip and transform it into a dazzling “Riviera of the Middle East.”
The Pentagon announced $7.4 billion in military sales to Israel, including $660 million for 3,000 Hellfire missiles and $6.75 billion for bombs and guidance kits. An additional artillery shell sale brought the total military package to over $8 billion. This artillery deal, conducted as a direct commercial sale, did not require a public Pentagon announcement.
This come after the U.S. authorized the release of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, Jan. 25, 2025, a munition that had previously been held back. The president told reporters at the time that those weapons had been paid for and that Israel had been waiting “a long time” for their delivery.
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“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” said the Pentagon. “The proposed sale improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats. Israel already has these weapons in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”
However, some American congressmen are not happy with the move because it bypasses the US Congress. This is yet another example of the new Trump Administration ignoring America’s constitutional system of checks and balances and taking upon itself the power to take actions without congressional oversight.
Representative Gregory Meeks, ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee was one who criticized the move on constitutional grounds saying that, “this move is yet another repudiation by Donald Trump of Congress’ rightful and legitimate oversight prerogative.”
Meeks, however, was careful to explain that his opposition to the move is not to be construed as opposition to Israel saying, “I continue to support Israel’s critical military needs as it faces a range of regional threats and was engaged in close consultation with the Administration on a range of questions and concerns.”
“My engagement on complex matters regarding arms sales has not changed between Administrations. I carefully scrutinized and examined arms transfer proposals the Biden Administration proposed and continue to with the Trump Administration.
