The United States authorizes new military aid to Israel, critics of the Democratic camp
The United States has in recent days authorized the transfer of several billion dollars of military equipment to Israel while publicly expressing its opposition to an Israeli plan for a ground offensive against Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. A decision which aroused the ire of the Democrats.
An Israeli strike in Gaza, March 23, 2024. © Amir Cohen / REUTERS
By: RFI with agencies
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Among this new “
package
” are combat aircraft as well as more than 1,800 900-kilo MK84 bombs and 500 225-kilo MK82 bombs, two sources told Reuters, confirming information from the
Washington Post
.
Washington provides military aid amounting to $3.8 billion (3.52 billion euros) each year to its Israeli ally, a contribution now called into question by part of President
Joe Biden
's Democratic Party due to the victims and destruction caused by
Israel 's offensive on the
Gaza
Strip
for more than five months.
Rumbling in the Democratic camp
While the United States has urgently delivered air defenses and munitions to Israel, some Democrats and Arab-American groups are criticizing the Joe Biden administration's unwavering support for Israel, which they say gives the Jewish state a feeling of impunity.
Several party figures also say they are outraged by these new arms deliveries, a “
bad decision
” for Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley for whom the American administration cannot “
credibly lobby for humanitarian aid
” while providing weapons that “
indiscriminately kill innocent Palestinians
.”
Same story, within the American left. Bernie Sanders, senator from Vermont, evokes an obscene decision: “
We cannot one day demand an end to the bombing of civilians, and the next day provide bombs that can single-handedly level entire neighborhoods
.”
The Biden administration can't credibly push to increase humanitarian access to Gaza while simultaneously sending the same weapons that the Netanyahu government is using to indiscriminately kill innocent Palestinians. Wrong on every level.https://t.co/H4eIsXVzjL
— Senator Jeff Merkley (@SenJeffMerkley) March 29, 2024
Joe Biden said Friday he understood “
the pain felt
” by many Americans of Arab origin due to the war in Gaza and the support provided by the United States to Israel and its military offensive. However, he promised to continue supporting Israel despite
increasingly public disagreement
with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. To justify the continuation of its military aid to Israel, a White House official explained to the
Washington Post
: “
the conditionality of aid is not part of our policy
” with regard to Israel. Washington will therefore not use arms and ammunition deliveries as a means of pressure on the Jewish state.
The military aid to Israel follows a visit to Washington by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who this week discussed Israel's weapons needs with his American counterparts. Speaking to the press last Tuesday, Yoav Gallant, while ostensibly seeking to ease tensions between the United States and Israel, said he stressed the importance of ties with Washington for his country's security and the maintenance of Israel's
“
qualitative
military
advantage
” in the region, particularly in air capabilities.
Also readWar in Gaza: which countries continue to sell weapons to Israel?
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