Top Dem on foreign affairs committee opposes Trump-proposed $2.8B arms sale to Israel
U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, a Democrat and ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs committee, is seen on Capitol Hill on July 22. (Eric Lee/Reuters)Social SharingU.S. Representative Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Wednesday he would not support the sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns the munitions would not be used in accordance with international law.
U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is planning to sell Israel a munitions package worth $2.8 billion US that will include tens of thousands of highly destructive 2,000-pound bombs, according to a U.S. official familiar with the sale.
The leaders of congressional committees review such sales under an informal process, but Meeks' objection alone is not enough to prevent the president from going ahead with the sale.
Trump has sidestepped Congressional review before to expedite military sales to Israel, reflecting his close ties to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government even before the two countries launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28.
The planned sale, which has been informally communicated to relevant congressional committees that weigh in on large arms sales, includes 20,000 MK-84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In this U.S. Air Force handout image, a person works on a MK-84 while aboard an aircraft carrier in April 2004. (Jason R. Zalasky/USAF/Getty Images)News of the package was first reported by The Washington Post.
The State Department and the Israeli Embassy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In a statement, Meeks said he is committed to Israel's security.
"But the Trump administration’s proposed sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal, raises grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon," he said.
U.S. public support for Israel has fallen since the Gaza war began in 2023, particularly among Democrats. A June Quinnipiac University poll found 48 per cent of voters and 66 per cent of Democrats believe the United States is too supportive of Israel, up from 16 per cent and 20 per cent when the question was first asked in 2017.
The 2,000-pound bombs have been regularly used by Israel in Gaza as well as in Lebanon, drawing scrutiny from human rights experts.
More than 73,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's military campaign, according to Gaza health authorities. A UN inquiry determined that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, a charge Isarel rejects.
The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. Iran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host U.S. bases. U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
