By Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from Washington D.C, United States - 150108-D-HU462-018, CC BY 2.0,
On Saturday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced a substantial increase in military support for Israel, with around USD 4 billion in aid scheduled for expedited delivery. This action marks a reversal of the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo, which had restricted the provision of certain weapons and ammunition to Israel.
“I have signed a declaration utilizing emergency authorities to accelerate the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance to Israel. The decision to overturn the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo, which unjustly withheld various weapons and ammunition from Israel, further demonstrates that Israel has no stronger ally in the White House than President Trump,” Rubio stated.
This decision is viewed as a reaffirmation of the robust partnership between the United States and Israel, with President Trump reiterating America’s dedication to Israel’s security. Since assuming office, the Trump Administration has sanctioned nearly USD 12 billion in significant Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Israel.
“Since taking office, the Trump Administration has authorized nearly $12 billion in major FMS sales to Israel. This crucial decision aligns with President Trump’s annulment of a Biden-era memorandum that had imposed unfounded and politicized conditions on military assistance to Israel during a critical time when our close ally was engaged in a struggle for survival on multiple fronts against Iran and terrorist proxies,” Rubio added.
The Trump Administration has committed to utilizing all available resources to ensure the security of Israel, which includes addressing various security threats. The US Secretary of State remarked, “The Trump Administration will persist in employing all available tools to uphold America’s enduring commitment to Israel’s security, including measures to counter security threats.”
President Biden has refuted claims of withholding arms from Israel, with the exception of a specific shipment of 2,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs, which were delivered to Israel last month following the unfreezing of the shipment by Trump, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Senator Rubio mentioned Trump’s recent revocation of National Security Memorandum 20. This order, enacted by Biden last year under pressure from progressive members of his Democratic party, mandated that recipients of US arms provide written assurances that they would not use these arms to target civilians or impede humanitarian assistance, according to The Times of Israel.
