Trump said to tear up Biden policy that sought to ensure arms not misused by Israel

The Trump administration has reportedly rescinded a policy created during former US president Joe Biden’s administration that could have potentially restricted aid to Israel at the urging of progressive Democrats.

The Washington Post obtained an order signed by US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz on February 21 that rescinds National Security Memorandum-20.

Signed by Biden last year, NSM-20 required all countries that receive weapons from the US to commit in writing that they will not use them to target civilians or restrict humanitarian aid. Such conditions were already in place, but the concept of a written commitment was new as was the memo’s directive for the State Department to report to Congress on the mater.

Biden agreed to sign the memo amid pressure from progressive Democrats who specifically were looking to curb US military assistance to Israel, arguing that it was being used to harm civilians in Gaza.

The State Department report issued several months after the memo avoided reaching a determination that Israel was indeed misusing US security assistance, infuriating the progressive lawmakers behind NSM-20.