Biden Moves to Lift Restrictions on ALL U.S. Weapons to Israel

Biden seeks to "allow for the transfer of all categories of defense articles," his request states

The White House has formally requested the removal of restrictions on all categories of weapons Israel is allowed to access from U.S. weapons stockpiles in the country, as I reported in detail for The Intercept today. So you know I’m not exaggerating, here’s a screenshot of the request:

The request would also remove nearly all other limits on Israel’s ability to access the U.S. weapons stockpiles — permanently —by doing the following:

• Waiving the requirement to notify Congress if the White House deems “extraordinary circumstances”

  

• Removing the $200 million per year cap on the value of weapons transfers to Israel

  

• Removing the requirement that only weapons no longer in current use by the U.S. military be transferred to Israel

  

• Removing the requirement that only surplus U.S. military weapons be transferred to Israel

  

• Allowing the Pentagon to exercise discretion in determining the worthiness of Israeli concessions provided to the U.S. in exchange for weapons, which are required by law

  

• Shortening the requirement to provide Congress 30-day prior notice of weapons transfers to Israel in “extraordinary circumstances”

The White House’s request is itself “extraordinary,” as one expert told me. I encourage you to read the full article at The Intercept.