As Term Ends, Biden Proposes $8 Billion Arms Deal for Israel

Latest Developments

Department of State Informs Congress of Planned Arms Package for Israel: In its waning weeks, the Biden administration has informally notified Congress of a proposed $8 billion arms package for Israel, according to information first reported by Axios. The action comes as Israel battles both Iran’s regional proxies and the direct threat from Tehran. The proposal, which U.S. law requires the administration to submit to Congress for review, reportedly includes weapons such as AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, 155mm artillery shells, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles for Apache helicopters, small diameter bombs, JDAM tail kits that turn unguided bombs into precision munitions, 500-pound warheads, BLU-109 bunker buster bombs, and bomb fuzes.
Resupply Deal Aims to Boost Israel’s Long-Term Security: The arms sale, if approved, would help Israel replenish munitions expended since the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. The package would be part of a long-term security assistance effort, with only some of the weapons delivered to Israel this year. An administration official speaking to The Wall Street Journal said that Washington will “continue to provide the capabilities necessary for Israel’s defense.”
Democrats Presented Conundrum for Biden Over Arms Shipments to Israel: The Biden administration has delivered an enormous quantity and variety of weapons to Israel since Oct. 7, 2023, but also paused a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel in May 2024 and slow-rolled for months the approval of several other munitions and systems. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), the Democrat leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee, respectively, will now decide whether to support or oppose the proposals.

FDD Expert Response

“The Biden administration sat on many of these requests for months and has finally submitted the informal proposals to Congress in the 11th hour, attempting to pocket the political credit while leaving it to the Trump administration to navigate the congressional hurdles. This is not how Washington should treat its best ally in the Middle East. A top priority for the Trump administration in 2025 should be ensuring Israel has all the capabilities it needs to defend itself and take the fight to our common adversaries.” — Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD’s Center of Military and Political Power

“Some of Israel’s adversaries have agreed to a pause in the fighting, but the Iranian axis has not faltered in its ultimate goal to destroy the Jewish state. October 7 reinforced the important lesson that Israel must never let down its defenses. The critical arms sales from the United States are central to Israel’s self-defense and, ultimately, its survival.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“In May, the State Department issued a direct report to Congress that Israel was in compliance with the legal requirements for arms sales to be used in accordance with international humanitarian law and that Israel was not restricting humanitarian aid from reaching Gaza. In that memo the State Department described the robust set of investigations and safeguards Israel is using to prevent harm to civilians. With this certification, the State Department moved forward with the $8 Billion sale that will provide precision weapons to Israel and help the country replenish its stockpiles of weapons used in fighting a multi front war. While Congress can still attempt to delay the sale it is highly unlikely that any such effort will be successful.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations