The #Republican-led UnitedStates House of
Representatives passed a bill on Thurs that would force President Joe #Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect #civilians during its war w/ #Hamas.
WSJ reports that the #Biden administration notified Congress on Tuesday that it was moving forward with more than $1 billion in new #weapons deals for #Israel.
Following the #Biden administration's announcement that the US will withhold large bombs and artillery shells if Israel moves into a full invasion of Rafah, #Netanyahu asserted Israel's readiness to proceed independently into the crowded city.
“If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone. If we need to, we will fight with our fingernails,” declared Netanyahu in a video statement.
Israel has reached out to US Senators to condemn Biden's decision and demand the immediate reinstatement of #weapons to Israel, with some senators even calling for Biden's impeachment over this move.
US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell sent a letter to President Biden expressing “alarm” and concern about the decision “to pause” a weapons shipment to Israel.
They also asked for clarification by the end of the week.
Biden confirmed in an interview that US munitions used by Israel have killed Palestinian civilians.
The #Biden admin paused the shipment of thousands of weapons to #Israel, including controversial 2k-pound bombs, amid mounting concern about the country’s plan to expand a military operation in southern #Gaza that could dramatically increase the conflict’s death toll, U.S. ofcls said Tues.
But in recent days, it became clear to the #Biden admin that “Israeli leaders seemed to approach a decision point on such an operation,” forcing Washington to initiate its review of proposed transfers.
Despite the pause, the #IDF has enough #weapons supplied by the #US & other partners to conduct the #Rafah op if it chooses to cast aside US objections, the 1st ofcl said.
…powerful pro-Israel interest groups including the American Israel Public Affairs Cmte… is spending tens of millions …this #election cycle to unseat #Democrats it views as insufficiently pro- #Israel.
#Republicans assailed news of a delay in #weapons approvals as a “reprehensible” betrayal. “The #UnitedStates must stand with Israel. Period,” said Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC).
In the middle of the raging war in #Gaza, the Swedish Armed Forces orders a new weapon system for the Jas 39 Gripen for SEK 390 million.
The target seeker system is manufactured in Israel by a state-owned company and is currently being used in airstrikes against Palestine to guide bombs against civilian targets.
The International Court of Justice has refused to order #Germany to stop sending #weapons and aid to Israel, rejecting a request from #Nicaragua.
Nicaragua brought the case arguing that by providing arms and other support to Israel, Germany is failing to prevent possible genocide against Palestinians in Israel's war with #Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
So much for genocide preventation.
Once again we witness the impunity of the apartheid genocidal regime of Israel and it's global network of supporters.
Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council draft resolution to urge countries to comply with the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and prevent a nuclear arms race in space. Earlier this year, U.S. officials accused Moscow of developing a new satellite-destroying nuclear weapon. The resolution was drafted by Japan and the United States, who voted in favor along with 11 other members of the council. China abstained. Read more about the failed vote from Axios.
Before the U.S. president signed a long-awaited weapons package this morning, the Biden administration secretly sent long-range missiles to Ukraine in March. Kyiv has already used the Army Tactical Missile Systems twice, striking targets deep beyond Russian enemy lines. The U.S. is sending more long-range ATACMS as part of the new $1 billion aid package. Politico has more on the weapons, and why Ukraine had been requesting them for years.
A group of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers are advocating for a risky proposition to allow Taiwan to build American-designed weapons systems in order to clear a $19 billion backlog of hardware promised to the country. Supply chain issues and work shortages have plagued the deliveries of tanks, missiles, jets and drones to Taiwan while the nation looks to counter China’s surging influence in the region. Some experts say allowing Taiwan to build the systems could leave them vulnerable to intelligence leaks to China. Politico has more on the proposal.
The leading U.S. military general in Europe is warning Congress that if they do not pass funding for Ukraine’s war against Russia soon, their army will be vastly overpowered by summer. Army Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, says in House testimony that Russian soldiers already fire five times as many artillery shells as Ukrainian soldiers do, and that without the U.S. sending more weapons the number will double to “10 to one in a matter of weeks.” Read more from the Associated Press.
Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a key ally of Joe Biden, has signed a letter from dozens of congressional Democrats to the US president and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, urging a halt to weapons transfers to Israel.
🚨 Elbit war criminal CEO: We were forced to shut down operations of an Elbit subsidiary in the U.S. Our profits decreased by 22% after the war on #Gaza.
We are facing difficulties after some countries banned supplying weapons to “israel.” Exports to & sales in the U.S. & Canada declined during the last quarter of last year.
Our profits decreased after closing factories in “Kiryat Shmona” and “Sderot.” Our production declined due to the drafting of 2,000 of our employees into the army and the killing of 5 workers.
Elbit‘s CEO said their supply chain disruptions are due to:
Maritime freight shipping issues (taking longer & more expensive)
Components for weapons systems are experiencing disruption globally & some vendors are choosing not to sell & work with Elbit
In other words: Yemen’s sea blockade and Palestine Action’s international direct action campaign are tanking Elbit’s profits!
This year Ukraine's military production should rise 6x, according to PM Shmyhal. This includes #ammunition, #military vehicles, but not the high-tech systems needed to win.
#Ukraine has been attacked at least ten times by missiles supplied by #NorthKorea and used by #russia says U.S. State Department official focussing on North Korea.
"We are deeply concerned about what this means for the proliferation of #weapons in the future," he continued.
From Haaretz: "What didn't go under the radar was the extensive total scope of the airlifts to Israel. According to publicly available flight-tracking data, at least 140 heavy transport planes have taken off from American bases around the globe – transporting equipment mainly to the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel – since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack, Hezbollah's offensive in the north, and the Israeli army's responses in Gaza and Lebanon. Munitions and other equipment have also arrived in Israel aboard a number of cargo ships."