2y ago

The Biden administration once again bypasses Congress on an emergency weapons sale to Israel

www.pbs.org

For the second time this month the Biden administration is bypassing Congress to approve an emergency weapons sale to Israel as Israel continues to prosecute its war against Hamas in Gaza under increasing international criticism.

News @lemmy.world

Silverseren @kbin.social

2y ago

The Biden administration once again bypasses Congress on an emergency weapons sale to Israel

www.pbs.org /newshour/politics/the-biden-administration-once-again-bypasses-congress-on-an-emergency-weapons-sale-to-israel

45 comments

I feel like I once again have to ask why? Why does Israel need these weapons so badly that you have to bypass even Congressional approval? Republicans wouldn't exactly oppose such an approval, they haven't shown any lack of support for supporting Israel, just Ukraine. And Israel certainly doesn't need the weapons for defense, as claimed by the State Department in the article.
Israel is very handedly and with minimal resistance killing thousands of Palestinians. They don't really need any additional arsenals.
Unless this is in preparation for Netanyahu's claimed invasion of Lebanon and beyond? Is Biden openly supporting the expansion of the conflict?
- I think there are two main reasons
  One, support for Israel is a huge part of wasp-end-of-the-world-prophecy and has been a life-time project for many boomers that are now very elderly. They will go all in on this last push before they die
  Two, Israel is an American military base located in the middle of three continents. Congress will print infinite money to maintain it and Israel knows it
  The whole thing is fucked
  
  Two, Israel is an American military base located in the middle of three continents.
  Is it actually though? It seems like all our invasions in that region have been supported by bases in allied Arab countries. I can’t remember a time when the Israeli military or Israeli territory has been used for an American military effort. I’m really at a loss for what they actually provide to the United States.
  
  This right here. Also, many people don't even consider the end times, but still want us to support Israel simply because we've been heavily propagandized in their favor. It wasn't until adulthood that I learned how atrocious the state of Israel is.
  
  We have like 400 people there. Iraq is a far more strategic country for us now.
- I feel like I once again have to ask why?
  Biden has spent literal decades telling Israel he'll support them no matter what and he'll never stop supporting them.
  It's right up there with "nothing will fundementally change" on the short list of campaign promises he's never broken
- Ukraine needs it more then fascist genocidal isreal
- Republicans wouldn't exactly oppose such an approval
  But they did oppose it.
  Republicans oppose Israel military aid unless Democrats support new anti-immigration laws. For now it's an impasse, so Israel isn't getting military aid. Thus Biden has to sell Israel military equipment instead of donating it.
  And it's a relatively small spend, about $100 million. That's roughly one day's worth of funding for the IDF (the Israeli military budget is $24 billion a year). The US says Israelis are mostly buying spare parts.
Ukraine needs immediate aide. This focus on sending aide to Israel is frankly infuriating. Ukraine is fighting for its existence. Israel is committing genocide (not the Jewish people, but the Israeli government under the leadership of Netanyahu). Can we please at least see the difference in terms of where resources should be allocated? This should not be political, but practical.
- This focus on sending aide to Israel is frankly infuriating.
  It's important to distinguish aid from sale.
  Biden didn't approve aid to Israel, he only allowed them to purchase weapons with cash.
  If Ukraine showed up tomorrow with a billion dollar check, they too could buy whatever they wanted immediately.
  That said, it is treasonous that Republicans blocked aid to Ukraine. Ukrainians are dying protecting America from Russian aggression.
- You're really not getting it, are you? With the assault in Ukraine, the US MIL got the opportunity to clear out some old stock and potentially divert world war 3 into a stalemate. It was great for a bit. The gaza conflict gives the US a greater opportunity to really play to its strengths and pursue a thread of great historic national interest... Bombing brown people.
  There's potentially oil there that needs freedom, and nobody exports more freedom for oil than the US
  /S ...I think? I'm having a bit of an Idiocracy moment right now.
  
  You're not wrong. There's nothing more American than killing brown people. Nothing. Just ask the Native Americans.
- Any of Israeli Jews are cheering on the genocide
Wait, you can do that? Why not bypass Congress to sell arms to Ukraine then?
- That's been my question this whole time.
  
  Two days ago:
  Biden administration announces $250 million Ukraine military assistance package
- Because Ukraine needs a weapon donor, not a weapon vendor.
  That said, Ukraine just received $250 million in weapon donations, approved by the previous Congress.
- Because then he doesn't have a cover to institute immigration policies that would make Bush blush.
It’s a fucking embarrassment that he’s doing this for Israel.
It’s also a fucking embarrassment that he’s not doing this for Ukraine.
- Ans he just can't understand why his approval ratings are low. I wouldn't give one solitary fuck if he bypassed Congress to help Ukrainian but get outta here with this Israeli genocide.
It's neat how congress goes from an insurmountable obstacle to an insubstantial suggestion.
- That only works when Congress intentionally leaves a loophole, in this case allowing weapon sales but not donations.
  
  What sale? We fund Israel. They do not pay us anything and never will. At least Ukraine is promising repayment for the weapons we supply and are backed by the World Bank. Israel, on the other hand, recieves billions from us annually and will continue to be our welfare recipients long after the Gazan genocide is complete.
  Also, sale or no sale, we are openly participating in genocide now. We should not be supplying jack shit to Israel under any financial circumstances.
  
  So neat watching the mountains of excuses evaporate into nothingness when there's a genocide to fund.
Helping Americans:
I'm just a president, I can't do anything! Unless something good happens, then it was all me!
Helping a foreign religious ethnostate to commit a genocide:
Oh wait, I can just do it....
- You didn't read this article did ya
God damn it Biden.
Can’t imagine Congress would stop this. Congress overwhelmingly approved aide for Israel just weeks ago. It was more popular to give money to Israel than Ukraine in the GOP.

45 comments