The administration of US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that it has approved military sales to Israel worth some $7.4 billion, despite a Democratic lawmaker’s request that the sale be paused until he received more information.
The Department of Defense, while making the announcement said that the State Department had approved a package for Israel worth an estimated $6.75 billion that included munitions, guidance kits and fuses with Boeing Co among the principal contractors.
It also detailed a deal estimated at $660 million to sell Hellfire Missiles to Israel in which Lockheed Martin would be the principal contractor.
This is coming after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington for meetings with Trump.
Representative Gregory Meeks, ranking Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, denounced what he described as a decision to break with a long-standing precedent for congressional review of major weapons sales.
Meeks said he had been discussing his concerns about the sale with the administration, which had failed to provide significant documentation or justification.
“I continue to support Israel’s critical military needs as it faces a range of regional threats and was engaged in close consultation with the Administration on a range of questions and concerns,” Meeks said in a statement.
According to him, the decision showed a lack of respect for Congress as a co-equal branch of government.
The White House is yet to comment on the development.
DAILY POST reports that former President Joe Biden’s administration had notified Congress of a proposed $8 billion arms sale to Israel in January.