U.S. approves $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel
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Israeli soldiers in a tank as it drives along the border with the Gaza Strip on Aug. 7, 2024 in southern Israel. Photo: Amir Levy/Getty Images
The Biden administration on Tuesday approved more than $20 billion major arms sales to Israel, including new F-15 fighter jets and tens of thousands of tank and mortar shells.
Why it matters: Most of the weapons sales are long-term deals and will only be delivered several years from now, but Israeli officials said the announcement send a message to Iran and Hezbollah as they threaten to attack Israel.
- A U.S. official said the deals were announced when they were ready but admitted their potential impact at a time when the U.S. wants to project to the region its support for Israel's long-term security.
Driving the news: The most significant deal is the sale of 50 F-15IA fighter jets and the upgrade of 25 F-15I fighter jets that are already in service in the Israeli Air Force. The deal is worth $18.8 billion.
- The Biden administration also approved the sale of 50,000 120mm mortar shells and 32,000 120mm tank shells.
- Another deal involves the sale of 30 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles for fighter jets.
- The last deal that was approved is for the sale of military tactical vehicles.
Behind the scenes: Israel waited quite a long time for these deals to be approved, an Israeli official told Axios.
- One of the more challenging deals was the F-15 jets, which the Biden administration needed to carefully navigate due to political sensitivities around U.S. support of Israel in Gaza and the fear that members of Congress would put a hold on the sale due to the war, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
- Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant's visit to Washington several weeks ago helped push the deals forward, Israeli and U.S. officials said.
Since the beginning of the war in Gaza, Gallant has maintained constant contact with senior Biden administration officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and consistently discussed and addressed issues surrounding ammunition and force build up — both short-term for the war and long-term for the Israel Defense Forces future needs, an Israeli official said.
- Israeli and U.S. officials said Gallant became a critical partner for the Biden administration during the past two years on a set of issues wider than the war in Gaza that were important to the U.S., including the West Bank and Lebanon.
- "This helped him in pushing the U.S. to do things that were important for Israel," an Israeli official said.
What they're saying: Gallant thanked Austin and Blinken for advancing the deals "that assist Israel in developing and maintaining its qualitative military edge in the region."
- The White House said in a statement that the weapons sales "will support Israel's long-term security by resupplying stocks of critical munitions and investing in long-term upgrades in capability."
Between the lines: For the White House, the deals also help fend off claims from Republicans ahead of the presidential elections that the Biden-Harris administration doesn't supply weapons to Israel.
- On the other hand, it could increase criticism of the administration among progressives who want Vice President Harris to commit to an arms embargo on Israel.
