Opposed Israel's Full-Scale War but Pushed for Additional Weapon Support
The Joe Biden administration in the United States is reportedly pushing for an additional $1 billion (approximately 1.365 trillion KRW) in weapons support for Israel.
It was reported by foreign media on the 15th that the Biden administration is pursuing a new arms deal with Israel. This is a completely opposite development that came less than a week after the government confirmed it had halted bomb shipments to Israel. The new support plan includes the transfer of $700 million worth of tank ammunition, $500 million worth of tactical vehicles, and $60 million worth of mortar shells.
According to the U.S. Arms Export Control Act, the government must notify in advance when selling weapons above a certain scale to other countries. Generally, the State Department first provides information about the potential sale to the foreign affairs committees of both the House and Senate, and then officially notifies Congress.
According to foreign media reports, the support plan has been under review since early this spring. Additional steps remain before the plan is approved and the weapons are actually transferred. Regarding the additional support for Israel, it is explained that the Biden administration is reluctant to deepen the rift with the Benjamin Netanyahu government of Israel.
U.S. officials have emphasized opposition to Israel’s full-scale war in Rafah, the southernmost part of the Gaza Strip, due to concerns about Palestinian civilian casualties. However, the only concrete action taken to prevent this was a temporary suspension of one shipment of explosive ammunition. The U.S. Department of Defense declined to comment on questions related to the current weapons support push.
Earlier, the U.S. Congress passed a bill last month providing $26 billion in total support for Israel, including $5.2 billion for air defense systems and $1 billion for shell production.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
