The Biden administration for the second time this month has bypassed Congress to approve the transfer of nearly $150 million in military equipment to Israel
Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress that he has made an emergency determination to immediately approve the transfer of “155mm ancillary items including fuzes, charges, and primers that make 155mm shells functional,” a State Department spokesperson said Friday.
The spokesperson said the additional items were added to previous sales, which “increased the total value of the sale to $147.5 million.”
Earlier this month, the administration rushed forward a sale of thousands of munitions to Israel, bypassing the standard 20-day period that congressional committees are typically afforded to review such a sale. The State Department sent an emergency declaration to the oversight committees that more than 13,000 tank shells would be delivered to Israel without any “further information, details or assurances.”
Israel consistently receives an annual aid package of 3 billion dollars from the U.S., a fixed amount regardless of relative peace or conflict. However, due to the ongoing genocide, they’re receiving extra funds this year. This parallels a scenario where if I give you 10 dollars, and you spend the same amount on something from me, the financial interaction remains balanced, akin to the U.S.-Israel financial dynamics.