Biden admin approves fighter jets' sale to Israel in over $20 bn deal

By Nick Wadhams
 

The Biden administration approved the sale of up to 50 F-15 fighter jets, vehicles and ammunition to Israel in a deal valued at more than $20 billion, sending an unmistakable message that weapons will continue to flow despite concerns about Israeli forces’ conduct of the war in Gaza.
 

Under the terms of the deal, the US would send up to 50 of the Boeing Co. F-15IA jets, along with upgrade kits for 25 other F-15s along with radar and other gear. The US would also send air-to-air missiles, tank and mortar ammunition, and Medium Tactical vehicles. The total deal would be worth up to $20.3 billion. Israel wouldn’t get the new jets until 2029 at the earliest.

Though Congress can still block a deal, which Tuesday’s announcement underscores President Joe Biden’s determination to continue to supply Israel the weapons it wants even as criticism grows about civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip. In the months since Hamas fighters attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and killed some 1,200 people, Israeli forces have waged a campaign that’s left nearly 40,000 people dead, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. 

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” the State Department said.

“Incorporating F-15IAs into the Israel Air Force’s fleet of fighter aircraft will enhance Israel’s interoperability with U.S. systems and bolster Israel’s aerial capabilities to meet current and future enemy threats,” it said.

In June, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of withholding weapons to Israel as his country was “fighting for its life,” an accusation the White House denied. The spat — which the two sides later said had been resolved — highlighted growing friction between the US and Israel over the campaign against Hamas, which is labeled a terrorist group by the US and the European Union. 

The sale went through after two Democrats, Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland and Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, dropped their opposition in June. In a statement at the time to the Washington Post, Cardin spokesman Eric Harris said any concerns had been “addressed through our ongoing consultations with the Administration.”

The Biden administration had paused the shipment of some large bombs to Israel in May over concerns about protecting civilians in the Gaza Strip city of Rafah.