US Approves $20BN In Weapons Sales To Israel As Wider War Looms
After already having given over $3 billion in annual foreign aid to America's number one ally in the Middle East stretching back years, the State Department has approved a series of potential weapons sales to Israel worth over $20 billion. This is the military-industrial complex's bread and butter: give allies huge amounts of foreign aid, and those dollars eventually return to line the pockets of the big US defense firms.
The sales are expected to include some 50 F-15 fighter jets and tank munitions, advanced air-to-air missiles, tactical vehicles, and on top of all this 50,000 high-explosive 120mm mortar rounds.
Some of this might be purchased with the $3.5 billion in military assistance recently released to Israel in the form of Foreign Military Financing.
While it will take years before 50 F-15s and many of the heavier, more sophisticated weapons would be delivered to Israel, it comes at a moment of deep global divide related to Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza.
Hamas sources have said that nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began last October, or about 2% of the total population. Much of this killing is being done by US-supplied weaponry courtesy of the US taxpayer.
The State Department in announcing the huge package said it is 'vital' to American interests:
"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."
Currently, there's a growing divide within Israeli leadership over a path forward in the war, particularly after yesterday Fitch downgraded Israel's rating from A+ to A.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Wednesday warned Israel is heading for an economic disaster under the policies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
"The finance minister and prime minister both issued statements yesterday in which they said that the lowering of Israel’s credit rating is a result of the war," Lapid said. "That is a lie. Both of them are lying to the public."
Some US allies are starting to grow increasingly vocal in criticism against Israel on human rights in Gaza...
Wow, even South Korea - who normally always align with the US - is now publicly denouncing Israel at the UN:
— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) August 14, 2024
"This was Israel's 8th bombing of a school sheltering civilians so far in August alone. We are all aware that civilian infrastructure should not be targeted, this is all… https://t.co/6X3h33G69l
"Already by last July, months before the war, rating companies issued a negative forecast for the Israeli economy, and said that if the reckless mismanagement of the economy continued, the rating would be lowered," Lapid continued. He further warned that without "a responsible government that will pass a responsible budget" the rating will continue to drop.