Biden Administration Arms Sales and Transfers to Israel
This resource page details developments related to U.S. arms sales to Israel under the Biden administration, beginning with a May 5, 2021, notification by the Biden administration to Congress of a possible direct commercial sale of $735 million in precision-guided weapons to Israel. That became controversial as fighting in Israel intensified and the notification became more broadly public around May 17, 2021.
In October 2023, as fighting erupted again, the Biden administration promised to rapidly deliver additional military assistance.
As explained in CRS reports, "In 2016, the U.S. and Israeli governments signed their third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on military aid, covering FY2019 to FY2028. Under the terms of the MOU, the United States pledged to provide—subject to congressional appropriation—$38 billion in military aid ($33 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants plus $5 billion in missile defense appropriations) to Israel."
For separate information on wider military buildup in the Middle East, this Responsible Statecraft resource is recommended.
Experts to contact: Josh Ruebner, John Ramming Chappell, Elias Yousif, Seth Binder, William Hartung, Ari Tolany, Jeff Abramson, Hassan El-Tayyab.
Select Timeline
2024
On September 26, media reported that Israel had said that it had secured a $8.7 billion support agreement (see Reuters).
On September 25, Senator Sanders, with co-sponsors, introduced resolutions of disapproval (see press release and fact sheet) on additional Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs); 120mm tank cartridges; 120mm High Explosive mortar cartridges;
JDAM receivers; Medium Tactical Vehicles; and fifty new F-15IA aircraft, associated weapons and parts, as well as upgrade kits for existing F-15 aircraft. See August 13 and 9, below, for links related to these proposed sales. See S.J.Res 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116.
On September 18, Senator Sanders announced that he would introduce resolutions of disapproval in the coming week.
On September 12, the Biden administration notified Congress of potential $164.6 million in arms sales to Israel via the Foreign Sales program for heavy duty tank trailers.
On August 13, the Biden administration notified Congress of potential $20.3408 billion in arms sales to Israel via the Foreign Military Sales process, including:
On August 9, media reported that the State Department had confirmed its intent authorize more weapons to Israel, including 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) for $262 million, and set to provide $3.5 billion in spending through the Foreign Military Financing program.
On July 10, media reported that the Biden administration was moving to deliver 500-pound bombs that had originally been withheld with 2000-pounds bombs due to concerns about their use in populated areas (see timeline entry for May 7, below).
On June 28, Reuters reported new figures on arms transferred to Israel since October, including "at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and other munitions."
On June 17, media reported that Democratic members of Congress Cardin and Meeks had lifted informal holds on F-15s and other major weapons to Israel, allowing the administration to formally notify such sales at a future date (see Washington Post).
On June 5, the NAACP called for President Biden to "indefinitely end the shipment of weapons and artillery to the state of Israel and other states that supply weapons to Hamas and other terrorist organizations," which received wide media attention.
On May 31, President Biden delivered a speech with a three-stage plan he described as a "roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages." (see video)
On May 28, U.S. officials indicated that an Israeli bombing of a displaced persons camp in Rafah did not cross a red line that would warrant a change in U.S. approach to arming Israel (see media).
On May 24, the International Court of Justice issued a provisional measure calling on Israel to "cease its military operations in the Gaza Strip.."
On May 16, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 8369 by a vote of 224-187 that aims to block the Biden administration's pause on delivery of certain weapons to Israel. To become law it would need to be approved by the Senate and survive an expected veto by the President.
On May 14, amidst some push back from Congress on the administration's decision to hold up delivery of large bombs (see May 7 and 8), media reported that the Biden administration had informally notified Congress of more than $1 billion in potential transfers to Israel, including "$700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds."
On May 10, the Biden administration submitted its NSM-20 report, including a section on Israel.
On May 7, many media outlets reported that the expected report due May 8 on Israel's compliance with NSM-20 would be delayed, as an Israeli offensive into Rafah continued. Reporting also continued to claim that select U.S. arms shipments were being held up, including 2,000 pound bombs (later confirmed by Biden in an interview on May 8).
On May 3, eighty-eight members of the House sent a letter to President Biden urging him to enforce National Security Memorandum 20 and Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act (see letter, press release).
On May 1, fifty-seven members of the House sent a letter to President Biden urging him to withhold "certain offensive weaponry or other military support that can be used for an assault on Rafah, including the offensive weaponry and aid already signed into law" (see letter, press release). Also, the Department of Defense announced a contract for "$26,675,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Colt M4A1 carbines, suppressors, and flash suppressors" for Israel with an estimated completion date of August 1. (see announcement, search for "W15QKN-24-C-0037")
On and around April 29, the State Department indicated that they had found five Israeli units had committed gross violations of human rights in incidents prior to October 7, 2023. The department indicated that four of those five had been remediated and that they had received additional information regarding the fifth. (see transcript, media)
On April 24, the President signed into law a supplemental appropriation for Israel, after it had passed earlier in the week in Senate. See remarks. Some of the key provisions include:
On April 20, House of Representatives passed a standalone appropriation for Israel (vote). The measure would still need to be passed in the Senate and signed by the President to become law.
On April 17, following attacks on Israel by Iran over the previous weekend, House Republican leaders released a number of supplemental appropriation bills, including a standalone Israel package that "totals $26.38 billion to support Israel in its effort to defend itself against Iran and its proxies, and to reimburse U.S. military operations in response to recent attacks." (text, summary)
On April 16, twenty-six House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden expressing "deep concern" about Israeli assurances that it is "using U.S-origin weapons in full compliance with relevant U.S. and international law and is not restricting the delivery of humanitarian assistance," referencing NSM-20. (text, media).
On April 5, the United States voted against Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/55/L.30 that "Calls upon all States to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel" that was adopted by a vote of 28 to 6 with 13 abstentions (see text, vote). Forty members of the House, led by Representatives Mark Pocan, Jim McGovern, and Jan Schakowsky sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken asking them to withhold pending and any future "offensive weapons" transfers to Israel (see letter, press release).
On April 4, following an Israeli strike earlier in the week on World Central Kitchen aid workers, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and "made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps" without directly indicating whether that would impact on arms transfers (see White House readout).
On April 1, multiple media reported that the Biden administration was close to formally notifying Congress of am $18 billion sale for 50 F-15 fighters (see CNN).
On March 29, the Washington Post reported that the Biden administration had recently fulfilled a number of arms deliveries from previously notified sales, including more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, and "authorized the transfer of 25 F-35A fighter jets and engines worth roughly $2.5 billion." (updated by CNN April 4)
On March 27, six members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden "imploring you to enforce U.S. law with the Netanyahu government" in reference to Section 620I.
On March 25, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US had received written assurances from seven countries (as required under NSM-20) and regarding Israel, "have not found them to be in violation of international humanitarian law, either when it comes to the conduct of the war or when it comes to the provision of humanitarian assistance." (see transcript)
On March 22 and 23, numerous members of Congress signed onto letters or statements to President Biden with concerns about Israel's behavior in relation to assurance required under NSM-20 (17 Senators) or Section 620I (6 House members).
On March 11, eight Senators sent a letter to President Biden urging him to enforce federal law (Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act) by requiring Netanyahu’s government to stop restricting humanitarian aid access to Gaza or forfeit U.S. military aid to Israel (see press release). The President's proposed budget reiterates supplemental request from October 2023 for billions in security assistance to Israel (see budget, factsheet).
On March 6, the Washington Post reported that only two of 100 separate foreign military sales since October 7 have been public, with the rest falling below Congressional notification thresholds, together "amounting to thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms and other lethal aid." (See also Wall Street Journal reporting for additional details on arms transfers, including indications that there "are currently 600 active cases of potential military transfer or sales worth more than $23 billion between the U.S. and Israel.")
On March 5, more than three dozen House Democrats send a letter to President Biden saying that "further expansion into Rafah would likely contravene the principles set forth in NSM-20" and that he should ensure all recipients of US aid are held accountable to that memorandum. (See February 8 entry below for a link to NSM-20.)
On March 3, Senator Sanders called on President Biden to invoke Section 620I (620 "eye") of the Foreign Assistance Act, citing in particular “No assistance shall be furnished … to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”
On February 23, a number of United Nations Special Rapporteurs and UN experts issued a statement (see press release) called for an end of arms transfers to Israel, saying, “Such transfers are prohibited even if the exporting State does not intend the arms to be used in violation of the law – or does not know with certainty that they would be used in such a way – as long as there is a clear risk.” Four Senators, led by Sen. Van Hollen, asked President Biden to "provide Congress with certain commitments and assurances from the Netanyahu government" before proposing major new arms transfers.
On February 13, the Senate passed a supplemental bill by a vote of 79-20 that would provide $14.1 billion in security assistance to Israel. House passage would still be needed.
On February 8, 2024, President Biden issued NSM-20, "National Security Memorandum on Safeguards and Accountability With Respect to Transferred Defense Articles and Defense Services," that while not mentioning Israel directly was widely seen as related to the country via efforts by Senator Van Hollen and others to gain assurances that U.S.-provided weapons were properly used. (See December 7, 2023 entry below.)
On February 7, a hard-negotiated bipartisan supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 815) that included funds for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan as well as border-related measures failed 49-50 to move forward in the Senate. (See reporting.)
On February 6, a House supplemental funding bill focused on Israel failed to garner the two-thirds support to move forward (H.R. 7217).
On January 29, Sen. Warren and Rep. McGovern shared led a bicameral letter signed by nearly 20 members of Congress to Secretary of State Blinken asking about the use of emergency powers to expedite arms sales to Israel, including how State determined an emergency existed, whether its conventional arms transfer policy was applied, and what mitigation measures and conditions were put in place to reduce the risks of civilian harm. Also, reporting by the Trace examined data on handgun exports to Israel, finding that in October and November 2023 " the U.S. exported more than 27,500 handguns to Israel — more than in any full year over the past two decades."
On January 24, sixteen national and international organizations issued a letter calling "on all States to immediately halt the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups while there is risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law."
On January 18, a Guardian article examined whether special mechanisms have been used to shield Israel from US human rights laws.
On January 16, a vote to move S. Res 504 forward failed 72 to 11.
On January 11, 75 organizations released a letter encouraging co-sponsorship S.Res.504 requiring a report on Israel’s human rights practices and U.S. military aid to Israel (see also December 14, below)
On January 9, Sen. Tim Kaine, with a number of co-sponsors, said he plans to file an amendment to maintain the congressional notification requirement for all U.S. assistance to foreign militaries, in particular highlighting Foreign Military Financing for Israel.
2023
On December 29, Congress was notified of a $147.5 million sale declaring an emergency exists to bypass Congressional review period of fuzes for 155 mm artillery ammunition, adding it to a previously implemented FMS (Foreign Military Sales) case that included four thousand seven hundred ninety-two (4,792) rounds of M107 155mm artillery ammunition; fifty-two thousand two hundred twenty-nine (52,229) rounds of M795 155mm artillery ammunition; and thirty thousand (30,000) M4 propelling charges.
Around December 25, Israeli media were reporting that the United States had delivered more than 10,000 tons of military equipment to Israel but had not yet agreed to a request for Apache helicopters.
On December 17, an examination of U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. International Trade Commission data for October (posted in December) by the American Friends Service Committee found that U.S. companies dramatically increased the number of military rifles, handguns, ammunition and guided missile parts exported to Israel in October (see article).
On December 14, Sen. Sanders introduced a resolution under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act that could, in time, lead to actions to cut off security assistance to Israel - S.Res.504. (See press release, text, as well as 502B explainer from CIVIC.)
On December 13, media reported that the Biden administration was holding up the licenses for more than 20,000 rifles (see also November 4-5 entry, below).
On December 8, Congress was notified of a $106.5 million sale declaring an emergency exists to bypass Congressional review period of nearly 14,000 120mm M830A1 tank cartridges via the Foreign Military Sales process.
On December 7,more than a dozen Senators introduced an amendment to require that the weapons received by any country under the proposed national security supplemental are used in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. (See related Van Hollen oped.)
On December 5, five Senators sent a letter to President Biden calling for oversight of the use of U.S.-origin weapons by Israel in war against Hamas.
On December 1, fighting resumed after a week-long ceasefire. According to media reports, the United States has delivered roughly 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells since October 7, including 100 BLU-109, 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs.
On November 18, Sen. Sanders called for conditioning aid to Israel.
On November 16, Rep. Ilhan Omar with four co-sponsors introduced a joint resolution of disapproval on the Spice assemblies sale (see press release, tracker).
On November 14, media reported (here or here) that 36,000 rounds of 30mm cannon ammunition, 1,800 of 3,000 requested M141 bunker-buster munitions, at least 3,500 of 5,000 night-vision devices, some Hellfire missiles and other weapons had been delivered from the United States and European Union.
On November 13, more than 30 organizations sent a letter calling for not transferring 155 mm shells to Israel, and media reported that a resolution of disapproval would be introduced on the Spice assemblies sale (see October 30).
On November 8, a majority of the Senate Democratic caucus sent a letter to the President supporting "defensive systems, including Iron Dome and other air defense capabilities" and asking for "specific mechanisms you are putting in place to ensure that Israeli military operations conducted inside Gaza are carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law and to ensure that any U.S.-provided equipment is used in a manner consistent with U.S. law."
On November 4 and 5, the Pentagon announced that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had arrived in the Middle East (Nov 4) and that an Ohio-class submarine had joined had joined Central Command/Fifth fleet (Nov 5). On the 5th, media outlets reported that Congress was raising concerns about an Israeli request for 24,000 assault rifles (see NYT, for example).
On October 30 (but not widely reported in media until November 6), Congress was notified of a potential $320 million sale of additional Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies -- see notification (obtained via media).
On October 24, the Defense Department announced that F-16s have been sent to the region, building on a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and additional Patriot missile battalions announced over the previous weekend (see official news).
On October 23, a Defense Department official clarified in a background briefing "...what has been provided to Israel through Direct Commercial Sales Contracts. That includes Small Diameter Bombs, ammunition and JDAM Tail Kits. As for 155 ammunition, what had happened prior to the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack, is some 155 had been withdrawn from the war reserve stockpile in Israel, to replenish U.S. stocks in Europe. Much of that has been redirected and provided to the Israel Defense Forces for their use."
On October 20, President Biden requested supplemental funding, including "procurement of Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems and components, and development of Iron Beam" for Israel. See factsheet, as well as letter (particularly Attachment 2-Israel), with media widely reporting as consisting of $14 billion for Israel. The administration also waived Congressional notification requirements regarding Foreign Military Financing.
On October 19, Defense Department confirmed that in addition to Iron Dome, the United States had been providing "precision-guided munitions, such as joint direct attack munitions, small-diameter bombs, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and other categories of critical equipment." President Biden gave a national address from the Oval office in which he said he would be "asking Congress to do is an unprecedented commitment to Israel’s security that will sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge, which we’ve committed to..."
On October 14 during a visit to Israel, President Biden said "later this week, I’m going to ask the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense. We are going to keep Iron Dome fully supplied so it can continue standing sentinel over Israeli skies, saving Israeli lives."
On October 14, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that he had directed the "USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to begin moving to the Eastern Mediterranean..." and that "Earlier in the week, the U.S. Air Force announced deployment to the region of squadrons of F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter aircraft."
On October 13, in prepared remarks in Israel, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, "security assistance from the Department of Defense is already rapidly flowing into Israel. That includes munitions, air-defense capacities, and other key equipment and resources. It also includes more interceptors for Iron Dome...".
October 10, according to media reports, Israel received 1,000 250-pound small diameter bombs that were expedited under a pre-existing contract.
October 8, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the U.S. would move the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean and that "the United States government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions."
October 7, as news of Hamas attacks in Israel and Israeli responses were coming, Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee promised to introduce legislation to provide missile defense and other military support to Israel.
On March 29, U.S. lawmakers Representative Bowman and Senator Sanders issued a statement to Secretary of State Blinken and President Biden, calling for an investigation into if weapons sent to Israel are being used to commit human rights violations against Palestinians. If this were the case, it would be in violation of Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act (see media here).
2022
According to CRS reporting, for FY2023 (Oct 1, 2022 to Sept 30, 2023), "Congress authorized $520 million for joint U.S.-Israel defense programs (including $500 million for missile defense) in the FY2023 James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act. Per the terms of the MOU, Congress appropriated $3.8 billion for Israel (FMF and missile defense) in the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, and added $98.58 million in funding for other cooperative defense and nondefense programs."
In the omnibus appropriations legislation that became law on March 15, 2022, Congress provided $1 billion for Iron Dome supplies to Israel as stipulated in sec. 8142. This is in addition to the $500 million contributed annually for Israel's missile defense, bringing the total to $1.5 billion in 2022 (see media here).
2021
On September 21, 2021, House Democrats, responding to pressure from progressive colleagues, removed a provision from the stopgap government funding bill that would have provided $1 billion in funding to Israel's Iron Dome air defense system. The next day, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee introduced a separate bill (H.R. 5323) to provide the Iron Dome funding, which passed the House in a 420-9 vote on September 23 (see vote). On October 4, Senator Menendez called for unanimous consent to approve funding, to which Sen. Paul objected. (See update, above, from March 2022.)
On July 30, a new notification of a possible $3.4 billion foreign military sale was notified to Congress, including 18 heavy lift helicopters and other equipment.
On July 27, Human Rights Watch issued a report finding that Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups carried out attacks during the May 2021 fighting "that violated the laws of war and apparently amount to war crimes."
On June 8, a diverse group of more than 100 organizations sent a letter to President Biden urging him to halt the sale (see also press release).
According to news reports on May 25, licenses for these sales were granted by the State Department on May 21. Votes are not expected now on the resolutions of disapproval.
On May 25, Senator Ted Cruz introduced a resolution of approval for the sales, with 6 initial co-sponsors (S.Res. 237).
On May 19, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Pocan, and Rashida Tlaib announced the introduction of a House resolution opposing the sale (with twelve additional initial co-sponsors), endorsed by dozens of organizations (see H.J.Res 49). On May 20, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the resolution in the Senate (see S.J.Res 19).
On May 17, news broke that the Biden administration had notified Congress of the potential direct commercial sale of $735 million weapons to Israel on May 5 for Joint Direct Attack Munition variants and Small Diameter Bomb Increment I variants for end use by the Ministry of Defense for Israel (license document DDTC 20-084 - not available publicly). In the interim between May 5-17, fighting in Israel had intensified, with a great deal of attention and concerned placed on the actions of Israeli forces.
While for sales to most countries, Congress has 30 days from formal notification to pass joint resolutions of disapproval that bar the President from concluding sales, for NATO member states, NATO, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel, and New Zealand that timeline is 15 days. However, at any point until delivery, Congress can pass legislation blocking arms sales. (See CRS resource.)
According to a fact sheet from the Security Assistance Monitor, since fiscal year 2001, Israel has received more than $63 billion in U.S. security assistance, with over 90% funded by the State Department's Foreign Military Financing program. (Note: it does not appear, but is unclear, whether FMF funding is being used in this instance.)
Select Resources
Government (Biden administration)
Congress (see also timeline above)
Congressional Research Service
In October 2023, as fighting erupted again, the Biden administration promised to rapidly deliver additional military assistance.
As explained in CRS reports, "In 2016, the U.S. and Israeli governments signed their third 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on military aid, covering FY2019 to FY2028. Under the terms of the MOU, the United States pledged to provide—subject to congressional appropriation—$38 billion in military aid ($33 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grants plus $5 billion in missile defense appropriations) to Israel."
For separate information on wider military buildup in the Middle East, this Responsible Statecraft resource is recommended.
Experts to contact: Josh Ruebner, John Ramming Chappell, Elias Yousif, Seth Binder, William Hartung, Ari Tolany, Jeff Abramson, Hassan El-Tayyab.
Select Timeline
2024
On September 26, media reported that Israel had said that it had secured a $8.7 billion support agreement (see Reuters).
On September 25, Senator Sanders, with co-sponsors, introduced resolutions of disapproval (see press release and fact sheet) on additional Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs); 120mm tank cartridges; 120mm High Explosive mortar cartridges;
JDAM receivers; Medium Tactical Vehicles; and fifty new F-15IA aircraft, associated weapons and parts, as well as upgrade kits for existing F-15 aircraft. See August 13 and 9, below, for links related to these proposed sales. See S.J.Res 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116.
On September 18, Senator Sanders announced that he would introduce resolutions of disapproval in the coming week.
On September 12, the Biden administration notified Congress of potential $164.6 million in arms sales to Israel via the Foreign Sales program for heavy duty tank trailers.
On August 13, the Biden administration notified Congress of potential $20.3408 billion in arms sales to Israel via the Foreign Military Sales process, including:
- An $18.8 billion sale of 50 F-15 fighter jets and related equipment; (see Congressional record)
- A $774 million sale of up to 32,739 120mm tank cartridges and related equipment; (see Congressional record)
- A $583 million sale of Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV)s and related equipment; (see Congressional record)
- A $102 million sale of 30 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) and related equipment; (see Congressional record) and,
- A $61 million sale of 50,000 M933A1 120mm High Explosive mortar cartridges and related equipment (see Congressional record).
On August 9, media reported that the State Department had confirmed its intent authorize more weapons to Israel, including 6,500 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) for $262 million, and set to provide $3.5 billion in spending through the Foreign Military Financing program.
On July 10, media reported that the Biden administration was moving to deliver 500-pound bombs that had originally been withheld with 2000-pounds bombs due to concerns about their use in populated areas (see timeline entry for May 7, below).
On June 28, Reuters reported new figures on arms transferred to Israel since October, including "at least 14,000 of the MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 6,500 500-pound bombs, 3,000 Hellfire precision-guided air-to-ground missiles, 1,000 bunker-buster bombs, 2,600 air-dropped small-diameter bombs, and other munitions."
On June 17, media reported that Democratic members of Congress Cardin and Meeks had lifted informal holds on F-15s and other major weapons to Israel, allowing the administration to formally notify such sales at a future date (see Washington Post).
On June 5, the NAACP called for President Biden to "indefinitely end the shipment of weapons and artillery to the state of Israel and other states that supply weapons to Hamas and other terrorist organizations," which received wide media attention.
On May 31, President Biden delivered a speech with a three-stage plan he described as a "roadmap to an enduring ceasefire and the release of all hostages." (see video)
On May 28, U.S. officials indicated that an Israeli bombing of a displaced persons camp in Rafah did not cross a red line that would warrant a change in U.S. approach to arming Israel (see media).
On May 24, the International Court of Justice issued a provisional measure calling on Israel to "cease its military operations in the Gaza Strip.."
On May 16, the House of Representatives approved H.R. 8369 by a vote of 224-187 that aims to block the Biden administration's pause on delivery of certain weapons to Israel. To become law it would need to be approved by the Senate and survive an expected veto by the President.
On May 14, amidst some push back from Congress on the administration's decision to hold up delivery of large bombs (see May 7 and 8), media reported that the Biden administration had informally notified Congress of more than $1 billion in potential transfers to Israel, including "$700 million in tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds."
On May 10, the Biden administration submitted its NSM-20 report, including a section on Israel.
On May 7, many media outlets reported that the expected report due May 8 on Israel's compliance with NSM-20 would be delayed, as an Israeli offensive into Rafah continued. Reporting also continued to claim that select U.S. arms shipments were being held up, including 2,000 pound bombs (later confirmed by Biden in an interview on May 8).
On May 3, eighty-eight members of the House sent a letter to President Biden urging him to enforce National Security Memorandum 20 and Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act (see letter, press release).
On May 1, fifty-seven members of the House sent a letter to President Biden urging him to withhold "certain offensive weaponry or other military support that can be used for an assault on Rafah, including the offensive weaponry and aid already signed into law" (see letter, press release). Also, the Department of Defense announced a contract for "$26,675,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Colt M4A1 carbines, suppressors, and flash suppressors" for Israel with an estimated completion date of August 1. (see announcement, search for "W15QKN-24-C-0037")
On and around April 29, the State Department indicated that they had found five Israeli units had committed gross violations of human rights in incidents prior to October 7, 2023. The department indicated that four of those five had been remediated and that they had received additional information regarding the fifth. (see transcript, media)
On April 24, the President signed into law a supplemental appropriation for Israel, after it had passed earlier in the week in Senate. See remarks. Some of the key provisions include:
- $4 billion to replenish Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems.
- $1.2 billion for the Iron Beam defense system to counter short-range rockets and mortar threats.
- $3.5 billion for the procurement of advanced weapons systems, defense articles, and defense services through the Foreign Military Financing Program.
- $1 billion to enhance the production and development of artillery and critical munitions.
- $4.4 billion to replenish defense articles and defense services provided to Israel.
- Provides additional flexibility for transfers of defense articles to Israel from U.S. stockpiles held abroad.
On April 20, House of Representatives passed a standalone appropriation for Israel (vote). The measure would still need to be passed in the Senate and signed by the President to become law.
On April 17, following attacks on Israel by Iran over the previous weekend, House Republican leaders released a number of supplemental appropriation bills, including a standalone Israel package that "totals $26.38 billion to support Israel in its effort to defend itself against Iran and its proxies, and to reimburse U.S. military operations in response to recent attacks." (text, summary)
On April 16, twenty-six House Democrats sent a letter to President Biden expressing "deep concern" about Israeli assurances that it is "using U.S-origin weapons in full compliance with relevant U.S. and international law and is not restricting the delivery of humanitarian assistance," referencing NSM-20. (text, media).
On April 5, the United States voted against Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/55/L.30 that "Calls upon all States to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel" that was adopted by a vote of 28 to 6 with 13 abstentions (see text, vote). Forty members of the House, led by Representatives Mark Pocan, Jim McGovern, and Jan Schakowsky sent a letter to President Biden and Secretary of State Blinken asking them to withhold pending and any future "offensive weapons" transfers to Israel (see letter, press release).
On April 4, following an Israeli strike earlier in the week on World Central Kitchen aid workers, President Biden spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and "made clear the need for Israel to announce and implement a series of specific, concrete, and measurable steps to address civilian harm, humanitarian suffering, and the safety of aid workers. He made clear that U.S. policy with respect to Gaza will be determined by our assessment of Israel’s immediate action on these steps" without directly indicating whether that would impact on arms transfers (see White House readout).
On April 1, multiple media reported that the Biden administration was close to formally notifying Congress of am $18 billion sale for 50 F-15 fighters (see CNN).
On March 29, the Washington Post reported that the Biden administration had recently fulfilled a number of arms deliveries from previously notified sales, including more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, and "authorized the transfer of 25 F-35A fighter jets and engines worth roughly $2.5 billion." (updated by CNN April 4)
On March 27, six members of Congress sent a letter to President Biden "imploring you to enforce U.S. law with the Netanyahu government" in reference to Section 620I.
On March 25, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said that the US had received written assurances from seven countries (as required under NSM-20) and regarding Israel, "have not found them to be in violation of international humanitarian law, either when it comes to the conduct of the war or when it comes to the provision of humanitarian assistance." (see transcript)
On March 22 and 23, numerous members of Congress signed onto letters or statements to President Biden with concerns about Israel's behavior in relation to assurance required under NSM-20 (17 Senators) or Section 620I (6 House members).
On March 11, eight Senators sent a letter to President Biden urging him to enforce federal law (Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act) by requiring Netanyahu’s government to stop restricting humanitarian aid access to Gaza or forfeit U.S. military aid to Israel (see press release). The President's proposed budget reiterates supplemental request from October 2023 for billions in security assistance to Israel (see budget, factsheet).
On March 6, the Washington Post reported that only two of 100 separate foreign military sales since October 7 have been public, with the rest falling below Congressional notification thresholds, together "amounting to thousands of precision-guided munitions, small-diameter bombs, bunker busters, small arms and other lethal aid." (See also Wall Street Journal reporting for additional details on arms transfers, including indications that there "are currently 600 active cases of potential military transfer or sales worth more than $23 billion between the U.S. and Israel.")
On March 5, more than three dozen House Democrats send a letter to President Biden saying that "further expansion into Rafah would likely contravene the principles set forth in NSM-20" and that he should ensure all recipients of US aid are held accountable to that memorandum. (See February 8 entry below for a link to NSM-20.)
On March 3, Senator Sanders called on President Biden to invoke Section 620I (620 "eye") of the Foreign Assistance Act, citing in particular “No assistance shall be furnished … to any country when it is made known to the President that the government of such country prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”
On February 23, a number of United Nations Special Rapporteurs and UN experts issued a statement (see press release) called for an end of arms transfers to Israel, saying, “Such transfers are prohibited even if the exporting State does not intend the arms to be used in violation of the law – or does not know with certainty that they would be used in such a way – as long as there is a clear risk.” Four Senators, led by Sen. Van Hollen, asked President Biden to "provide Congress with certain commitments and assurances from the Netanyahu government" before proposing major new arms transfers.
On February 13, the Senate passed a supplemental bill by a vote of 79-20 that would provide $14.1 billion in security assistance to Israel. House passage would still be needed.
On February 8, 2024, President Biden issued NSM-20, "National Security Memorandum on Safeguards and Accountability With Respect to Transferred Defense Articles and Defense Services," that while not mentioning Israel directly was widely seen as related to the country via efforts by Senator Van Hollen and others to gain assurances that U.S.-provided weapons were properly used. (See December 7, 2023 entry below.)
On February 7, a hard-negotiated bipartisan supplemental appropriations bill (H.R. 815) that included funds for Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan as well as border-related measures failed 49-50 to move forward in the Senate. (See reporting.)
On February 6, a House supplemental funding bill focused on Israel failed to garner the two-thirds support to move forward (H.R. 7217).
On January 29, Sen. Warren and Rep. McGovern shared led a bicameral letter signed by nearly 20 members of Congress to Secretary of State Blinken asking about the use of emergency powers to expedite arms sales to Israel, including how State determined an emergency existed, whether its conventional arms transfer policy was applied, and what mitigation measures and conditions were put in place to reduce the risks of civilian harm. Also, reporting by the Trace examined data on handgun exports to Israel, finding that in October and November 2023 " the U.S. exported more than 27,500 handguns to Israel — more than in any full year over the past two decades."
On January 24, sixteen national and international organizations issued a letter calling "on all States to immediately halt the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups while there is risk they are used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian or human rights law."
On January 18, a Guardian article examined whether special mechanisms have been used to shield Israel from US human rights laws.
On January 16, a vote to move S. Res 504 forward failed 72 to 11.
On January 11, 75 organizations released a letter encouraging co-sponsorship S.Res.504 requiring a report on Israel’s human rights practices and U.S. military aid to Israel (see also December 14, below)
On January 9, Sen. Tim Kaine, with a number of co-sponsors, said he plans to file an amendment to maintain the congressional notification requirement for all U.S. assistance to foreign militaries, in particular highlighting Foreign Military Financing for Israel.
2023
On December 29, Congress was notified of a $147.5 million sale declaring an emergency exists to bypass Congressional review period of fuzes for 155 mm artillery ammunition, adding it to a previously implemented FMS (Foreign Military Sales) case that included four thousand seven hundred ninety-two (4,792) rounds of M107 155mm artillery ammunition; fifty-two thousand two hundred twenty-nine (52,229) rounds of M795 155mm artillery ammunition; and thirty thousand (30,000) M4 propelling charges.
Around December 25, Israeli media were reporting that the United States had delivered more than 10,000 tons of military equipment to Israel but had not yet agreed to a request for Apache helicopters.
On December 17, an examination of U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. International Trade Commission data for October (posted in December) by the American Friends Service Committee found that U.S. companies dramatically increased the number of military rifles, handguns, ammunition and guided missile parts exported to Israel in October (see article).
On December 14, Sen. Sanders introduced a resolution under Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act that could, in time, lead to actions to cut off security assistance to Israel - S.Res.504. (See press release, text, as well as 502B explainer from CIVIC.)
On December 13, media reported that the Biden administration was holding up the licenses for more than 20,000 rifles (see also November 4-5 entry, below).
On December 8, Congress was notified of a $106.5 million sale declaring an emergency exists to bypass Congressional review period of nearly 14,000 120mm M830A1 tank cartridges via the Foreign Military Sales process.
On December 7,more than a dozen Senators introduced an amendment to require that the weapons received by any country under the proposed national security supplemental are used in accordance with U.S. law, international humanitarian law and the law of armed conflict. (See related Van Hollen oped.)
On December 5, five Senators sent a letter to President Biden calling for oversight of the use of U.S.-origin weapons by Israel in war against Hamas.
On December 1, fighting resumed after a week-long ceasefire. According to media reports, the United States has delivered roughly 15,000 bombs and 57,000 artillery shells since October 7, including 100 BLU-109, 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs.
On November 18, Sen. Sanders called for conditioning aid to Israel.
On November 16, Rep. Ilhan Omar with four co-sponsors introduced a joint resolution of disapproval on the Spice assemblies sale (see press release, tracker).
On November 14, media reported (here or here) that 36,000 rounds of 30mm cannon ammunition, 1,800 of 3,000 requested M141 bunker-buster munitions, at least 3,500 of 5,000 night-vision devices, some Hellfire missiles and other weapons had been delivered from the United States and European Union.
On November 13, more than 30 organizations sent a letter calling for not transferring 155 mm shells to Israel, and media reported that a resolution of disapproval would be introduced on the Spice assemblies sale (see October 30).
On November 8, a majority of the Senate Democratic caucus sent a letter to the President supporting "defensive systems, including Iron Dome and other air defense capabilities" and asking for "specific mechanisms you are putting in place to ensure that Israeli military operations conducted inside Gaza are carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law and to ensure that any U.S.-provided equipment is used in a manner consistent with U.S. law."
On November 4 and 5, the Pentagon announced that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group had arrived in the Middle East (Nov 4) and that an Ohio-class submarine had joined had joined Central Command/Fifth fleet (Nov 5). On the 5th, media outlets reported that Congress was raising concerns about an Israeli request for 24,000 assault rifles (see NYT, for example).
On October 30 (but not widely reported in media until November 6), Congress was notified of a potential $320 million sale of additional Spice Family Gliding Bomb Assemblies -- see notification (obtained via media).
On October 24, the Defense Department announced that F-16s have been sent to the region, building on a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense battery and additional Patriot missile battalions announced over the previous weekend (see official news).
On October 23, a Defense Department official clarified in a background briefing "...what has been provided to Israel through Direct Commercial Sales Contracts. That includes Small Diameter Bombs, ammunition and JDAM Tail Kits. As for 155 ammunition, what had happened prior to the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack, is some 155 had been withdrawn from the war reserve stockpile in Israel, to replenish U.S. stocks in Europe. Much of that has been redirected and provided to the Israel Defense Forces for their use."
On October 20, President Biden requested supplemental funding, including "procurement of Iron Dome and David’s Sling missile defense systems and components, and development of Iron Beam" for Israel. See factsheet, as well as letter (particularly Attachment 2-Israel), with media widely reporting as consisting of $14 billion for Israel. The administration also waived Congressional notification requirements regarding Foreign Military Financing.
On October 19, Defense Department confirmed that in addition to Iron Dome, the United States had been providing "precision-guided munitions, such as joint direct attack munitions, small-diameter bombs, 155-millimeter artillery ammunition and other categories of critical equipment." President Biden gave a national address from the Oval office in which he said he would be "asking Congress to do is an unprecedented commitment to Israel’s security that will sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge, which we’ve committed to..."
On October 14 during a visit to Israel, President Biden said "later this week, I’m going to ask the United States Congress for an unprecedented support package for Israel’s defense. We are going to keep Iron Dome fully supplied so it can continue standing sentinel over Israeli skies, saving Israeli lives."
On October 14, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that he had directed the "USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (CSG) to begin moving to the Eastern Mediterranean..." and that "Earlier in the week, the U.S. Air Force announced deployment to the region of squadrons of F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter aircraft."
On October 13, in prepared remarks in Israel, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, "security assistance from the Department of Defense is already rapidly flowing into Israel. That includes munitions, air-defense capacities, and other key equipment and resources. It also includes more interceptors for Iron Dome...".
October 10, according to media reports, Israel received 1,000 250-pound small diameter bombs that were expedited under a pre-existing contract.
October 8, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced that the U.S. would move the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean and that "the United States government will be rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions."
October 7, as news of Hamas attacks in Israel and Israeli responses were coming, Ben Cardin, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee promised to introduce legislation to provide missile defense and other military support to Israel.
On March 29, U.S. lawmakers Representative Bowman and Senator Sanders issued a statement to Secretary of State Blinken and President Biden, calling for an investigation into if weapons sent to Israel are being used to commit human rights violations against Palestinians. If this were the case, it would be in violation of Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act (see media here).
2022
According to CRS reporting, for FY2023 (Oct 1, 2022 to Sept 30, 2023), "Congress authorized $520 million for joint U.S.-Israel defense programs (including $500 million for missile defense) in the FY2023 James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act. Per the terms of the MOU, Congress appropriated $3.8 billion for Israel (FMF and missile defense) in the FY2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act, and added $98.58 million in funding for other cooperative defense and nondefense programs."
In the omnibus appropriations legislation that became law on March 15, 2022, Congress provided $1 billion for Iron Dome supplies to Israel as stipulated in sec. 8142. This is in addition to the $500 million contributed annually for Israel's missile defense, bringing the total to $1.5 billion in 2022 (see media here).
2021
On September 21, 2021, House Democrats, responding to pressure from progressive colleagues, removed a provision from the stopgap government funding bill that would have provided $1 billion in funding to Israel's Iron Dome air defense system. The next day, Democrats on the House Appropriations Committee introduced a separate bill (H.R. 5323) to provide the Iron Dome funding, which passed the House in a 420-9 vote on September 23 (see vote). On October 4, Senator Menendez called for unanimous consent to approve funding, to which Sen. Paul objected. (See update, above, from March 2022.)
On July 30, a new notification of a possible $3.4 billion foreign military sale was notified to Congress, including 18 heavy lift helicopters and other equipment.
On July 27, Human Rights Watch issued a report finding that Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups carried out attacks during the May 2021 fighting "that violated the laws of war and apparently amount to war crimes."
On June 8, a diverse group of more than 100 organizations sent a letter to President Biden urging him to halt the sale (see also press release).
According to news reports on May 25, licenses for these sales were granted by the State Department on May 21. Votes are not expected now on the resolutions of disapproval.
On May 25, Senator Ted Cruz introduced a resolution of approval for the sales, with 6 initial co-sponsors (S.Res. 237).
On May 19, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Mark Pocan, and Rashida Tlaib announced the introduction of a House resolution opposing the sale (with twelve additional initial co-sponsors), endorsed by dozens of organizations (see H.J.Res 49). On May 20, Senator Bernie Sanders introduced the resolution in the Senate (see S.J.Res 19).
On May 17, news broke that the Biden administration had notified Congress of the potential direct commercial sale of $735 million weapons to Israel on May 5 for Joint Direct Attack Munition variants and Small Diameter Bomb Increment I variants for end use by the Ministry of Defense for Israel (license document DDTC 20-084 - not available publicly). In the interim between May 5-17, fighting in Israel had intensified, with a great deal of attention and concerned placed on the actions of Israeli forces.
While for sales to most countries, Congress has 30 days from formal notification to pass joint resolutions of disapproval that bar the President from concluding sales, for NATO member states, NATO, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Israel, and New Zealand that timeline is 15 days. However, at any point until delivery, Congress can pass legislation blocking arms sales. (See CRS resource.)
According to a fact sheet from the Security Assistance Monitor, since fiscal year 2001, Israel has received more than $63 billion in U.S. security assistance, with over 90% funded by the State Department's Foreign Military Financing program. (Note: it does not appear, but is unclear, whether FMF funding is being used in this instance.)
Select Resources
Government (Biden administration)
- On April 24, 2024, the President signed into law a supplemental appropriation for Israel, after it had passed earlier in the week in Senate. See remarks.
- President's Budget - March 11, 2024 - which reiterates supplemental request from October 2023 (see budget, factsheet)
- Supplemental funding request - See factsheet, as well as letter (particularly Attachment 2-Israel), October 20, 2023.
- NSM-20, "National Security Memorandum on Safeguards and Accountability With Respect to Transferred Defense Articles and Defense Services," February 8, 2024.
- Fuzes for 155 mm artillery ammunition, $147.5 million sale declaring an emergency exists to bypass Congressional review period (Foreign Military Sale- FMS), December 29, 2023.
- 120mm M830A1 tank cartridges $106.5 million sale declaring an emergency exists to bypass Congressional review period via the Foreign Military Sales process, December 8, 2023.
- "Statement From Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III on U.S. Force Posture Changes in the Middle East," U.S. Department of Defense, October 8, 2023.
- State Department resource page, "Israel Under Attack: Latest Updates"
- "ISRAEL – CH-53K HEAVY LIFT HELICOPTERS WITH SUPPORT," notification to Congress of potential Foreign Military Sale (FMS), $3.4 billion, July 30, 2021.
- Notifications are not made public for Direct Commercial Sales as quickly or as detailed as they are for Foreign Military Sales--the Forum has yet to find an official document detailing the May sale. For more on the differences between Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales, see State Department Factsheet, "U.S. Arms Sales and Defense Trade," January 20, 2021.
Congress (see also timeline above)
- Chris Van Hollen, "Israel’s war against Hamas is just, but it must be fought justly," Washington Post, December 6, 2023.
- "Chair Cardin Proposes Legislation to Help Israel Defend Itself," press release, October 7, 2023.
- "Sen. Cruz Leads Resolution in Support of Israeli Arms Sales," press release, May 26, 2021.
- "NEWS: Sanders Moves to Block Weapons Sale to Israel," press release, May 20, 2021.
- "Ocasio-Cortez, Pocan & Tlaib Lead Joint Resolution to Block Weapon Sales to Netanyahu," press release, May 19, 2021.
- "Israel: May 2021 Violence, Other Background, and U.S. Relations in Brief," Congressional Research Service, updated May 20, 2021. For more on the Congressional oversight on arms sales, see "Arms Sales: Congressional Review Process," Congressional Research Service, December 10, 2020.
Congressional Research Service
- "U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel," last updated March 1, 2023.
Civil Society
Specific to arms transfers and the conflict that began October 7, 2023
last updated November 7, 2023
Specific to arms transfers and the conflict that began October 7, 2023
- Watson Institute/Brown University Costs of War Project: "United States Spending on Israel’s Military Operations and Related U.S. Operations in the Region, October 7, 2023 – September 30, 2024," (October 7, 2024)
- Factsheets on Israeli use of 120mm/150mm artillery and guided bomb units.
- NAACP statement calling for an indefinite end of weapons shipments (June 5, 2024)
- More than 250 humanitarian and human rights organisations call to stop arms transfers to Israel and Palestinian armed groups (updated April 12, 2024)
- American Friends Service Committee - Israeli Violations Tracker (first published in early May, 2024) The Companies Behind Israel’s 2023 Attack on Gaza (first published Nov 30, 2023)
- Amnesty International - report including use of small-diameter bombs (February 12, 2024), report on use of U.S.-made munitions (December 5, 2023), NSM-20 submission (April 29, 2024), Rafah investigation request (August 27, 2024), Amnesty USA resource page
- Democracy in the Arab World Now (DAWN) - call to monitor and restrict use of U.S. weapons (October 15, 2023) expert panel on genocide (January 9, 2024), Leahy law (April 19), 620I (April 27), block new arms packages (August 13)
- 620I (620 "eye")
- Letter from 25 organizations calling for the President to "urgently comply with U.S. law and end U.S. support for catastrophic human suffering in Gaza," March 12, 2024.
- "Fact Sheet: Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act," CIVIC and Oxfam America, March 2024.
- Brian Finucane, "Section 620I: No Military Assistance to States Restricting U.S. Humanitarian Assistance," Just Security, March 19, 2024.
- John Ramming-Chappell, "Can Biden’s New Arms Transfer Policy Be More Than an Empty Promise?" Arms Control Today, March 2024. (also includes discussion of NSM-20)
- Statements by organizations: DAWN (April 27, 2024)
- NSM-20 (National Security Memorandum)
- Letter from more than 25 organization to President Biden, "End Arms Transfers to Israel Amid Continued Violations of US Law & Policy," September 3, 2024.
- John Ramming Chappell, "Key Takeaways from Biden Administration Report on Israeli Use of US Weapons," Just Security, May 10, 2024.
- Report of the Independent Task Force, April 18, 2024 (see related article)
- Amnesty International submission (made public April 29, 2024)
- Statements since March 25: Center for American Progress, Center for International Policy
- Joint NGO submission, March 23, 2024.
- "Israeli Forces’ Conduct in Gaza," Human Rights Watch and Oxfam Submission to Biden Administration’s NSM-20 Process, March 19, 2024
- Brian Finucane, "Not Reassuring: NSM-20 and the Limits of Law-of-War Assurances in the Transfer of U.S. Arms," Just Security, February 13, 2024.
- Prominent liberal and labor groups send letter to President Biden calling on him to enforce the Foreign Assistance Act see media, tweet (April 11, 2024)
- Letter from 16 national and international organizations calling "on all States to immediately halt the transfer of weapons, parts, and ammunition to Israel and Palestinian armed groups..." (January 24, 2024)
- Letter from 75 organizations encouraging co-sponsorship S.Res.504 requiring a report on Israel’s human rights practices and U.S. military aid to Israel (January 11, 2024)
- American Friends Service Committee, "US Gun Exports to Israel Surge," December 17, 2023. See also "U.S. Gun Exports to Israel: Report to Commerce Department" with Gun Free Kitchen Table, January 5, 2024.
- Letter from 30+ organizations calling for not transferring 155 mm shells to Israel (November 13); Oxfam America briefing on 155mm shell transfers (October 30)
- Human Rights Watch - call for arms suspension to Israel and Palestine (November 6, 2023), starvation as weapon of war (December 18, 2023), report on October strike in Gaza as likely war crime (April 4, 2024)
- Saferworld - call for halt to arms sales (December 5)
- Letter from 14 organizations that includes call for withholding U.S. assistance that would facilitate violations of international humanitarian law (December 20)
- John Ramming Chappell, Annie Shiel, Seth Binder, Elias Yousif, Bill Monahan and Amanda Klasing, "Law and Policy Guide to US Arms Transfers to Israel," Just Security, November 8, 2023.
- Josh Paul, "Security Assistance and Arms Transfers: Human Rights Frameworks and Recommendations for Strengthening," Institute for Middle East Understanding, November 10, 2023.
- Elias Yousif, "A Primer on the Emergency Declaration for Arms Transfers to Israel," Stimson Center, January 9, 2024.
- Brian Finucane, "Is Washington Responsible for What Israel Does With American Weapons?" Foreign Affairs, November 17, 2023.
- Sarah Yager, "How to End America’s Hypocrisy on Gaza," Foreign Affairs, February 12, 2024.
- Allison McManus, Laura Kilbury, Robert Benson, "Emergency Arms Sale to Israel Undermines Accountability," Center for American Policy, December 14, 2023.
- Center for International Policy - assessment of aid package (Oct 31); five recommendations (October 29)
- Elias Yousif and Rachel Stohl, "In Shadow of War, a Snapshot of U.S. Military Assistance to Israel," Stimson Center, October 13, 2023.
- "Why it’s time for the US Army to divest Iron Dome," Breaking Defense, March 27, 2023.
- Jacob Batinga, "Should Biden's new arms transfer policy apply to Israel?", Responsible Statecraft, March 8, 2023.
- Project on Middle East Democracy, "Israel & Palestine" resource page.
- "Explainer: The Controversy Over Increased Funding for Iron Dome," Institute for Middle East Understanding, September 22, 2021
- "Gaza: Apparent War Crimes During May Fighting," Human Rights Watch, July 27, 2021.
- "National Coalition Calls on Biden to Halt Weapons Sales to Israel" - letter from more than 100 organizations - June 8, 2021
- Elias Yousif, "Factsheet: US Arms Sales and Security Assistance to Israel," Security Assistance Monitor, May 12, 2021.
- William Hartung and Salih Booker, "Israel’s Military, Made in the USA," the Nation, May 21, 2021
- Josh Ruebner, Salih Booker, Zaha Hassan, "Bringing Assistance to Israel in Line With Rights and U.S. Laws," Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, May 12, 2021.
- Organizational statements (select- generally from organizations with Forum-listed experts)
- Amnesty USA (May 17, 2021)
- Oxfam America (May 18, 2021)
- DAWN (Democracy for the Arab World Now) (May 25, 2021)
last updated November 7, 2023
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EXPERT RESPONSES
Forum on the Arms Trade-listed experts* provided the following public comments on this topic. Please contact experts directly for further comments:
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May 20, 2021: The Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders joint resolution of disapproval of $735 million in joint direct attack munitions (JDAM's) for Israel is historic and hugely significant. Israel is the largest recipient of US taxpayer funded weapons, and this legislation marks the first time ever that lawmakers have publicly attempted to stop the flow of weapons to Israel, weapons which make the US complicit in Israeli settler-colonial, apartheid oppression of the Palestinian people. Israel is currently utilizing JDAM's in its horrific assault on the besieged Gaza Strip. This joint resolution is the first step toward holding Israel accountable for its war crimes. |
* Inclusion on the Forum on the Arms Trade expert list does not indicate agreement with or endorsement of the opinions of others. Institutional affiliation is indicated for identification purposes only. Please contact experts directly for further comments.