The Biden administration has approved a $735 million dollar weapons deal for the state of Israel, in a move that shows he will not be much different than his predecessor on this issue.
Congress became aware of the sale on May 5, as Antiwar.com notes, which was less than one week after they started their latest Gaza bombing campaign.
A Congressional aide has revealed that the majority of the $735 million deal will be for Boeing-made Joint Direct Attack Munitions. These weapons can transfer unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions, which will then be used to shell Gaza and other targets in the Middle East.
Because of the timing of the deal, the move has rankled some Democrats. The far-left “Squad” is particularly up in arms.
Apartheid states aren’t democracies.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 15, 2021
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-NY) has condemned the sale as continuing the violence and worsening the situation considerably.
“It would be appalling for the Biden Administration to go through with $735 million in precision-guided weaponry to Netanyahu without any strings attached in the wake of escalating violence and attacks on civilians. If this goes through this will be seen as a green light for continued escalation and will undercut any attempts at brokering a ceasefire,” Omar said.
However, Republicans believe that subsidizing the state of Israel’s defense helps American national security priorities and are celebrating the Biden regime’s decision.
“While recent transactions were not related to current events on the ground, we absolutely should do all that we can to support our ally Israel in the face of ongoing terrorist activities that threaten their security,” said ranking Foreign Relations member James E. Risch (R-ID).
“Under no circumstance should anyone think what is happening over there is anything but Iranian-supported terrorism against Israel. My support for Israel is unwavering in the face of this terrorist activity. I am disappointed that some of my colleagues in Congress would call this enduring partnership into question,” he added.
Recently, journalist Glenn Greenwald publicly questioned the reasoning behind “America First” conservatives supporting the subsidization of the state of Israel with federal welfare money, suggesting that picking a side in this heated foreign conflict may exacerbate hatred and terror against the U.S.:
This is the earnest question I have for adherents to the MAGA/America-First ideology about how that can be reconciled with unstinting support for using massive US resources to support Israel and Israelis. Would love to discuss this question on air with an America First supporter: pic.twitter.com/d6E9JLYjGW
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) May 11, 2021
The retired Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the libertarian icon, has frequently made the powerful point about “blowback” being caused by the U.S. involvement in various conflicts, which benefits the interests of the military-industrial complex:
Greenwald poses important questions that should be considered by all patriots who truly wish to put America First. Continuous U.S. Intervention in the Middle East has not exactly made things safer or more free in the homeland, after all.
