The US President Joe Biden administration has authorised the emergency sale of $106.5 million worth of tank ammunition to Israel, circumventing the congressional jurisdiction over military aid to that country. The ammunition is needed for the ongoing conflict against Hamas in Gaza.
On Saturday, the US State Department affirmed its decision, stating that Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s conclusion that “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of tank shells to Israel prompted it to notify Congress the day before. The government stated that the emergency determination was made to safeguard US national security interests.
Legislative control is typically retained for such arms transactions, and authorization is supposedly only given when the executive branch deems the necessity to supply weapons to be of greater urgency than waiting for Congress to act. About 14,000 high-explosive M830 tank rounds—which may damage tanks and other armoured targets—are part of the contract with Israel.
The State Department released a statement saying, “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability.” “Those goals are in line with this proposed sale. Israel intends to bolster its domestic defence and serve as a deterrent to regional threats by utilising the expanded capability.
The emergency authorization comes at a time when the Biden administration is having difficulty getting $106 billion in additional security funding approved by Congress, of which $14.3 billion is allocated to Israel. $14.5 billion in aid was approved by the US House of Representatives last month, but Biden has insisted that money for Israel and Ukraine be given jointly.
After earlier approving $113 billion in outlays, Republican legislators have delayed the approval of fresh aid to Kiev, claiming concerns that Washington is simply extending the fight with Russia without a clear strategy for success.
Democrats have proposed that Israel should only receive military assistance if it takes action to lessen the number of civilian deaths in Gaza. 1.9 million people have been displaced and about 18,000 Palestinians have lost their lives since the most recent violence started in October. On October 7, Hamas carried out unexpected raids on villages in southern Israel, resulting in an estimated 1,200 fatalities and the escape of hundreds of hostages to Gaza. This marked the beginning of the battle.
