From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
Blinken approves $20 billion sale of weapons to Israel, including F-15s
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has approved weapons sales of more than $20 billion to Israel, including F-15 fighter jets and nearly 33,000 tank shells.
In a notification to Congress, the State Department says that the sales “will improve Israel’s capability to meet current and future enemy threats.”
The F-15s aren’t expected to arrive for several years, but their sale in the middle of a Gaza war is likely to further upset progressives.
While top Democrats in Congress could place a hold on the sale, they have thus far refrained from doing so after receiving assurances from the White House that the weapons won’t be used to harm civilians.
The most notable approval is the $18.82 billion sale of F-15 fighter jets. This was the sale over which the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee Rep. Gregory Meeks initially voiced concern before lifting his opposition.
Other sales included $774.1 million in tank shells, $102.5 million in advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, $61.1 million in 120mm high explosive mortar shells and $583.1 million in tactical vehicles.
