WASHINGTON — A Biden administration plan to sell $18 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets to Israel is moving forward after two top Democrats in Congress signed off on the deal, according to multiple people familiar with the sale.
Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the Foreign Affairs Committee, who had publicly opposed the transfer by citing Israel’s tactics during its campaign in the Gaza Strip, has loosened his grip on the deal, one of the largest US arms sales, canceled. to Israel in years. Meeks said the sale would take years and that he supported the Biden administration’s plans to block sales of other ammunition.
“I have been in close contact with the White House and National Security Council on these and other arms issues for Israel, and have repeatedly urged the Administration to continue to urge Israel to make significant and concrete improvements on all fronts when it comes to humanitarian efforts and limiting civilian casualties,” Meeks said in a statement.
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Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, who had delayed the signing but never publicly said he was blocking the deal, also agreed to let it go forward and joined the key Republicans who had agreed to the plan months ago.
By completing the informal consultation process with Congress, the State Department can move forward with officially notifying Congress of the sale, the final step before sealing the deal. The ministry declined to comment on the weapons orders or whether it would issue a formal notification soon.
Congressional approval of arms sales has almost always been a foregone conclusion when it comes to Israel. That changed in recent months, amid growing concern in the United States about Israel’s conduct of its war against Hamas, and as Democrats in Congress increasingly hinted that they might use their power over arms transfers to get rid of Israel. demand that he change his tactics.
The decision to bow to pressure from the Biden administration was a stark reversal for Meeks, who had been outspoken about his opposition to the deal, expressing frustration over Israeli actions in the war, which have resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian victims and to cause a hunger crisis in Gaza.
“I don’t want the kind of weapons that Israel has to use to lead to more deaths,” Meeks said in an interview with CNN in April. “I want to ensure that humanitarian aid arrives. I don’t want people to starve to death. And I want Hamas to release the hostages.”
When asked whether he would hold off on selling the jets, he said: “I will make that decision once I see what those guarantees are.”
Meeks did not clarify Monday whether he had received those assurances.
The order, which would include up to 50 of the planes and take several years to deliver, still faces potential hurdles from some outspoken lawmakers who will have the chance to express their opposition to the sale before it can be completed and approved. .
The State Department informally briefed two congressional committees, the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Armed Services Committee, on the F-15 order in January. In the informal assessment process, these committees can ask the department questions about how the recipient country intends to use the weapons. Both Republicans on those panels, Representative Michael McCaul of Texas and Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, immediately approved the proposal.
A spokesperson for Cardin said the review of the order had gone through the regular deliberation process and all concerns had been addressed by the government.
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