US President Donald Trump’s administration has approved arms sales to Israel worth $7.4 billion, despite Democratic lawmakers’ request for the sale to be paused until more information is available.
The State Department notified Congress of two separate sales: one for $6.75 billion worth of munitions and guidance kits, including thousands of bombs; the other for $660 million worth of 3,000 Hellfire missiles and related equipment. Deliveries are expected to begin this year.
Trump’s administration defied the standard practice which sees the State Department first notifying the top four lawmakers on the foreign relations committees in the House and Senate of the price tag. Traditionally, if the members raise any issues, the State Department will hold back on making a formal notice.
Representative Gregory Meeks from the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee denounced Trump’s decision to break with the tradition of congressional review. Trump has called the sale a simple “real estate transaction.”
The massive arms deal came just two days after Trump met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House.
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