A Biden administration plan to sell $18 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets to Israel is moving forward after two leading Democratic holdouts in Congress signed the deal, according to several people familiar with the matter .
Representative Gregory W. Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, who had publicly opposed the transfer citing Israel’s tactics during its campaign in Gaza, lifted his hold on the deal, one of the largest U.S. arms sales to Israel in years. Mr. Meeks said the sale would take years and that he supported the Biden administration’s plans to delay the sale of other munitions.
“I have been in close contact with the White House and the National Security Council regarding this and other arms matters for Israel, and have repeatedly urged the administration to continue pushing Israel to make meaningful and concrete improvements on all fronts in humanitarian efforts and limit civilian casualties,” Mr. Meeks said in a statement.
Senator Benjamin L. Cardin, Democrat of Maryland and chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, who had delayed signing but never publicly said he was blocking the deal, also agreed to allow it to go forward. ‘before, joining leading Republicans who had agreed to the deal. plan months ago.
Closing the informal consultation process with Congress allows the State Department to formally notify Congress of the sale, the final step before closing the deal. The ministry declined to comment on the weapons orders, including whether it would give that official notification soon.
Congressional approval of arms sales has almost always been a foregone conclusion when it comes to Israel. That has changed in recent months, amid growing concern in the United States over Israel’s conduct of the war against Hamas, and as Democrats in Congress have increasingly suggested they could use their influence over arms transfers to demand that Israel change tactics.
The decision to bow to pressure from the Biden administration was a sharp turnaround for Mr. Meeks, who had spoke openly about his opposition to the dealexpressing frustration with Israel’s actions in the war, which have caused tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties and helped create a food crisis in Gaza.
“I don’t want the type of weapons that Israel has to use to result in more deaths,” Mr. Meeks said in a CNN interview in April. “I want to make sure that humanitarian aid arrives. I don’t want people to starve. And I want Hamas to release the hostages.
Asked if he would delay the sale of the planes, he said: “I will make that decision once I see what those assurances are.” »
Mr. Meeks did not say Monday whether he had received these assurances.
The order, which would be for up to 50 planes and take several years to deliver, still faces potential obstacles from a number of outspoken lawmakers who will have the opportunity to voice their opposition for sale before it can be finalized and approved. .
The State Department gave two congressional committees, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, informal notification of the F-15 order in January. As part of the informal review process, these committees can ask the ministry questions about how the receiving country intends to use the weapons. The two top Republicans on those panels, Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho and Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, immediately agreed.
A spokesman for Mr. Cardin said the review of the order followed the regular process of deliberation and that all concerns were taken into account by the administration.
Edward Wong reports contributed.
