The State Department approved the sale of tank ammunition to Israel on an urgent basis as Israeli forces increased their operations in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to Reuters, the measure approves the sale of almost 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million.
This sale, in an unusual but not unprecedented process, was approved with the State Department skipping the review step in Congress, where various requests from President Joe Biden remain completely stopped.
For example, the nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other national security issues are at an impasse due to intense debate over U.S. immigration policy and border security.
Both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are internally divided over sending aid to Israel and Ukraine. For this reason, the Biden Administration took the step of bypassing Congress to approve the sale.
Congress was notified of the sale late Friday by the State Department, just after Secretary of State Antony Blinken said “an emergency exists that requires the immediate sale” of the tank ammunition in the interest of national security.
“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the State Department announced. “Israel will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.”
