Congress has positioned a maintain on a $1 billion arms sale bundle for Israel that was readied alongside President Trump welcoming Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington on Tuesday.
Two congressional aides advised The Hill Tuesday {that a} maintain has been positioned on the Israel arms sale bundle.
The 4 prime lawmakers on the Home Overseas Relations Committee and the Senate Overseas Relations Committee have the facility to individually block arms gross sales orders when over a sure greenback quantity.
Netanyahu is the primary overseas chief to go to Trump since he returned to the White Home, typically a recognition of the significance of the connection. A maintain on arms gross sales to Israel alerts a serious flouting of conference, the place U.S. army help for Israel is considered as an funding in American nationwide safety.
The Wall Avenue Journal reported that the $1 billion arms sale bundle for Israel contains 4,700 1,000-pound bombs, price greater than $700 million, in addition to armored bulldozers constructed by Caterpillar, price greater than $300 million, citing U.S. officers.
The maintain comes as Democrats have seethed over Trump’s actions slightly over two weeks into his presidency. They pushed again on an preliminary federal assist freeze; are condemning a halt on U.S. overseas help; elevating alarm over the dismantling of the U.S. Company for Worldwide Growth (USAID); and opposing the president’s threats of tariffs on America’s neighbors Mexico and Canada, to call just a few of the excessive profile conflicts.
However there’s few choices for Democrats to push again on Trump’s agenda absent Republican allies given the GOP’s slim majorities within the Home and Senate. Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) have introduced they are going to delay and stall Trump’s State Division nominees till the administration retreats on its efforts to interrupt up USAID.
Trump might attempt to override the Israeli arms sale maintain. In 2019, Trump issued an emergency declaration to push via greater than $8 billion in arms gross sales to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan with out congressional approval. The Republican-controlled Senate on the time voted to dam the arms sale.
Arms gross sales to Israel are traditionally bipartisan, at the same time as Democrats have more and more raised alarm over Israel’s struggle conduct within the Gaza Strip and Netanyahu’s insurance policies towards Palestinians.
Amid Israel’s struggle in opposition to Hamas in response to the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist assault, an estimated half of the almost 47,000 Palestinian casualties are ladies, kids and the aged. Practically all the two million Gaza residents require humanitarian help and 90 p.c are displaced amongst widespread destruction.
Nonetheless, Democrats in positions of energy didn’t stand in the way in which of President Biden sending weapons to Israel or green-lighting arms gross sales. In June, Biden moved ahead on a $18 billion arms sale to Israel.
Netanyahu will meet with Trump on the White Home on Tuesday and is predicted to go to Capitol Hill and meet with lawmakers on Wednesday.
The U.S. offers about $38 billion to Israel as a part of a 10-year memorandum of understanding (MOU). That quantities to $3.3 billion in overseas army financing — typically a credit score for Israel to buy weapons programs within the U.S. and $500 million for missile protection applications yearly. The MOU runs via fiscal 12 months 2028 and can should be renewed in 2029.
