US to Send 20K Assault Rifles to “Israel”

By Staff, Agencies

A document reviewed by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter revealed that Trump administration advanced the sale of over 20,000 US-made assault rifles to "Israel" last month.

The deal moved forward despite having been previously delayed by the Biden administration over concerns that the weapons could be used by "Israeli" settlers described as extremist.

On March 6, the State Department formally notified Congress of the $24 million sale, specifying that the "Israeli" police would be the end user, Reuters noted.

While modest in value compared to the billions of dollars in arms the US supplies to "Israel", the deal attracted scrutiny after the Biden administration paused it, citing fears the rifles might be misused by settlers involved in violent attacks against Palestinians in the “Israeli”-occupied West Bank.

The March 6 notification indicated that the US had considered “political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control” factors before proceeding with the sale.

Settler violence had been escalating even before the outbreak of the war on Gaza and has intensified since the "Israeli" war machine was unleashed on Gaza more than a year ago.

Trump has cultivated a close relationship with "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pledging unwavering support for "Israel" in its war on Gaza. In several instances, his administration has advanced arms sales to "Israel" despite calls from Democratic lawmakers to pause such transfers pending further information.

On Thursday, the US Senate overwhelmingly voted against efforts to halt $8.8 billion in arms sales to "Israel" due to human rights concerns, rejecting two resolutions of disapproval with votes of 82–15 and 83–15.

These resolutions, which aimed to block the sale of large bombs and other offensive weaponry, were introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

The sale of US-made rifles had initially been suspended following objections from Democratic lawmakers, who requested details on how "Israel" intended to use the weapons. Although the relevant congressional committees ultimately cleared the transaction, the Biden administration maintained the hold.