Greg Meeks, the Democratic representative from New York and chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, announced that he will block the proposed sale of heavy weapons worth $2.8 billion to Israel. This decision was made due to concerns about the potential use of these powerful bombs in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon under the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Concerns About Weapon Use
Meeks stated in a statement: "The Trump administration has not provided sufficient guarantees that these weapons will be used legally by the Netanyahu government with regard to the protection of civilians." He added: "Therefore, at this time, I will not approve this sale." These remarks come as arms sales to Israel have faced similar criticisms in the past.
Impact on the Sale Process
However, Meeks' opposition is unlikely to affect the sale. This sale, which was informally communicated to lawmakers on Tuesday, may not undergo the normal review process after formal notification to Congress. Marco Rubio, the Secretary of State, could bypass this process by declaring an emergency.
This action has occurred in the past, including last year when a sale of nearly $3 billion in arms to Israel was approved without normal congressional review. Last January, the administration also approved a new series of arms sales to Israel worth $6.67 billion.
The proposed package includes 40,000 powerful 2,000-pound bombs. This comes as the transfer of these bombs had been suspended by the Biden administration due to concerns about the potential high civilian casualties.
The recent proposed sale is part of a series of actions taken by the Trump administration to bolster Israel's military capacity and comes at a time when Israel is facing increased international isolation due to the war in Gaza. This war began in response to deadly attacks by Hamas on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and devastation in the region.
While the United States has managed to mediate a fragile ceasefire, violence continues.
