Including 3,000 Air-to-Ground Missiles
Democrats Protest: "Congressional Authority Ignored"
U.S. President Donald Trump presented Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader to visit the White House since his inauguration, with a $7.4 billion (approximately 10.8 trillion KRW) weapons gift.
According to the Washington Post (WP) on the 7th (local time), the U.S. State Department notified Congress of a plan to sell weapons to Israel. Under this plan, the U.S. will deliver 3,000 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles and related equipment to Israel starting in 2028, and more than 2,100 GBU-39 bombs and guidance systems beginning next year.
Additionally, the State Department will sell precision guidance systems for 2,000-pound BLU-109 bombs to Israel. The BLU-109, a massive bomb capable of penetrating concrete walls about 2 meters thick, is considered a weapon likely to be used if Israel attacks Iran’s nuclear facilities. Regarding this, the State Department stated, "The United States is firmly committed to Israel’s security," and "Maintaining Israel’s strong self-defense capability is essential to U.S. national interests."
However, the Trump administration’s decision to sell these weapons is expected to spark controversy as it bypassed the review process of the House of Representatives. Gregory Meeks (New York), the Democratic ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, claimed that the State Department circumvented the committee’s review procedures and said, "The Trump administration blatantly ignored Congress’s authority."
Earlier, the Trump administration resumed the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, which had been withheld by the previous Joe Biden administration due to concerns over Israel’s military operations against Hamas. Since the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas, Israel’s airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have resulted in the deaths of more than 47,000 Palestinian residents.
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