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Meeks Halts USD2.8B Bomb Sale to Israel Amid Legal Concerns
(MENAFN) Rep. Gregory Meeks said Wednesday he is blocking a proposed $2.8 billion sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, citing unresolved questions over whether the munitions would be used in compliance with U.S. and international law.
The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said his objection does not reflect a retreat from supporting Israel's security, but rather a demand for accountability over how the weapons would be deployed.
"I remain firmly committed to Israel's security and its ability to defend itself against serious regional threats.
"But the Trump administration's proposed sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal, raises grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon," Meeks said in a statement.
According to Meeks, the administration failed to offer "sufficient assurances" regarding protections for civilians or the conditions under which Israeli forces would deploy the bombs.
"I therefore will not clear this sale at this time. This decision does not diminish Congressional support for Israel's legitimate defense needs; it reflects Congress's responsibility to ensure that U.S.-funded weapons are used lawfully, responsibly, and with meaningful safeguards for human life," he added.
The move drew swift praise from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which framed the decision as long overdue.
"After years of mass civilian slaughter and the systematic destruction of Gaza, no reasonable person can claim ignorance about how the racist, openly genocidal Netanyahu government would use these weapons," CAIR said in a statement.
While calling Meeks' hold "an important first step," the group pressed lawmakers to go further and permanently kill the arms transfer.
"Congress must permanently reject this unconscionable arms transfer and stop writing blank checks for the Israeli government's crimes. No more bombs. Period," it added.
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of sustained criticism of U.S. military support for Israel's campaign in Gaza, where more than 73,000 people — most of them women and children — have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. A ceasefire took hold last October, though violations have continued at a steady pace.
A growing bloc of U.S. lawmakers has called for an end to weapons transfers to Israel, arguing that continued shipments implicate Washington in the conduct of the war in the besieged territory.
The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said his objection does not reflect a retreat from supporting Israel's security, but rather a demand for accountability over how the weapons would be deployed.
"I remain firmly committed to Israel's security and its ability to defend itself against serious regional threats.
"But the Trump administration's proposed sale of 40,000 2,000-pound bombs, some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal, raises grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon," Meeks said in a statement.
According to Meeks, the administration failed to offer "sufficient assurances" regarding protections for civilians or the conditions under which Israeli forces would deploy the bombs.
"I therefore will not clear this sale at this time. This decision does not diminish Congressional support for Israel's legitimate defense needs; it reflects Congress's responsibility to ensure that U.S.-funded weapons are used lawfully, responsibly, and with meaningful safeguards for human life," he added.
The move drew swift praise from the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which framed the decision as long overdue.
"After years of mass civilian slaughter and the systematic destruction of Gaza, no reasonable person can claim ignorance about how the racist, openly genocidal Netanyahu government would use these weapons," CAIR said in a statement.
While calling Meeks' hold "an important first step," the group pressed lawmakers to go further and permanently kill the arms transfer.
"Congress must permanently reject this unconscionable arms transfer and stop writing blank checks for the Israeli government's crimes. No more bombs. Period," it added.
The dispute unfolds against the backdrop of sustained criticism of U.S. military support for Israel's campaign in Gaza, where more than 73,000 people — most of them women and children — have been killed since Oct. 7, 2023. A ceasefire took hold last October, though violations have continued at a steady pace.
A growing bloc of U.S. lawmakers has called for an end to weapons transfers to Israel, arguing that continued shipments implicate Washington in the conduct of the war in the besieged territory.
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