The New York Times reported that the Israeli authorities have ordered about 24 thousand automatic and semi-automatic rifles from American arms manufacturers. Their transfer could lead to a new surge of aggression.
American arms manufacturers have received an order from the Israeli authorities to supply 24 thousand automatic and semi-automatic rifles. Washington fears that their transfer will lead to an upsurge in violence in the West Bank, The New York Times reported, citing sources in the US administration.
A shipment of weapons of similar size must be approved by the State Department and the US Congress. The main recipient of the weapons should be the Israeli police, but local authorities have not ruled out that some of the rifles may be transferred to civilians.
The U.S. Foreign Ministry notified the U.S. Congress of the order, but within the State Department, opinions are divided on the need to approve such a request. According to some American lawmakers, the current US President Joe Biden should receive guarantees from Israel that the weapons will not fall into the wrong hands.
We shall remind you that earlier Responsible Statecraft columnist Daniel Larison said that US President Joe Biden’s attempt to tie aid to Ukraine to support for Israel could leave both countries without aid at once. According to Larison, the US president was lying when he said that the victory of Ukraine and Israel is “vital” for the strategic security of the United States.
We will remind, earlier Russian President Vladimir Putin called to stop the bloodshed in Israel. “All of us with anxiety and with pain in the heart are watching the tragic situation in the holy land, which has sacred significance for Christians, Muslims, Jews, for followers of the largest traditional world religions,” – said the President. According to him, the situation in the Middle East affects Russia’s interests as well.