Last month, the Trump administration proceeded with the sale of over 20,000 U.S.-manufactured assault rifles to Israel, as reported by a document reviewed by Reuters. This move continues a transaction that the previous Biden administration had postponed due to worries that the firearms might be utilized by extremist Israeli settlers.
On March 6, the State Department notified Congress about the $24 million sale, indicating that the Israeli National Police would be the end user, according to the document.
While this rifle sale is relatively minor compared to the billions of dollars in military aid provided to Israel by Washington, it garnered attention when the Biden administration chose to delay it, citing concerns that the weapons could be misused by Israeli settlers, some of whom have perpetrated violence against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Biden administration has also enacted sanctions against individuals and organizations accused of violence in the West Bank, where there has been an increase in settler attacks on Palestinians.
On his first day in office, January 20, Trump signed an executive order lifting U.S. sanctions on Israeli settlers, marking a significant shift in U.S. policy. Since then, his administration has authorized the sale of billions of dollars in arms to Israel.
The congressional notification from March 6 stated that the U.S. government had considered “political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control factors.” The State Department did not provide a comment when asked whether the administration sought guarantees from Israel regarding the use of the weapons.
CLOSE TIES
Since the 1967 Middle East conflict, Israel has maintained control over the West Bank, a territory that Palestinians envision as the foundation of their future state. The establishment of settlements in this area is considered illegal by most nations, a claim Israel contests by referencing its historical and biblical connections to the land.
Prior to the outbreak of the Gaza war, there was an increase in settler violence, which has escalated further since the conflict began over a year ago. Former President Trump developed a strong relationship with Prime Minister Netanyahu, committing to support Israel in its military actions against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. His administration has, at times, proceeded with arms sales to Israel, despite requests from Democratic lawmakers to pause these transactions until they received additional information.
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate decisively voted against a proposal to halt $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel due to human rights concerns, with votes of 82-15 and 83-15 rejecting two disapproval resolutions concerning the sale of large bombs and other offensive military equipment. These resolutions were introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who aligns with the Democratic Party.
A sale of rifles had been temporarily suspended after objections from Democratic lawmakers who sought clarity on Israel’s intended use of the weapons. Although congressional committees eventually approved the sale, the Biden administration maintained the hold.
The latest chapter in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict commenced with a Hamas assault on Israeli communities on October 7, 2023, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 individuals and the abduction of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel’s military actions have reportedly resulted in the deaths of more than 50,000 Palestinians, as stated by Gaza health authorities. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s National Security Minister and a far-right member of Netanyahu’s government, oversees the Israeli police force. In November 2023, the Times of Israel reported that his ministry has prioritized the arming of civilian security groups following the attacks on October 7.
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