US approves $20 billion arms sale to Israel

The United States approved, on Tuesday, August 13, the sale of arms to its Israeli ally for more than 20 billion dollars (18.2 billion euros). The State Department justified this decision in a notification to the American Congress, in which it considers that this sale would “improve Israel’s ability to confront current and future enemy threats”The sale includes 50 F-15 fighter jets worth $18.82 billion (17.13 billion euros), nearly 33,000 tank munitions and 50,000 mortar shells.

These deliveries will take years: the F-15s, equipped with radars and secure communications equipment, will not begin to be delivered until 2029. “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to help Israel develop and maintain a significant self-defense capability.”the State Department said in its memo regarding the sale of the F-15s, built by Boeing. Regarding the tank munitions, the State Department argued that they will allow Israel “to strengthen its internal defense and will serve as a means of deterrence against regional threats”.

The announcement comes as the war in Gaza between Israel and Hamas enters its 11th month and US President Joe Biden pushes for a ceasefire. Human rights groups and some Democratic lawmakers have called on Biden to reduce or halt arms sales to Israel, which is engaged in a bloody war in Gaza that has killed at least 39,929 people, according to Palestinian health ministry data. Congress could theoretically block the arms sale, but such a move is unlikely to succeed.