- Move Sparks Outrage Over Lack of Oversight
- Includes Thousands of Hellfire Missiles and Bombs
The U.S. State Department has authorized a $7 billion arms sale to Israel, bypassing the traditional congressional review process, according to Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
The package, which includes thousands of Hellfire missiles and bombs, was announced just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C. Netanyahu was the first foreign leader to visit Trump at the White House in his second term.
Ordinarily, arms sales require a review by the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, allowing lawmakers to raise concerns. However, the Trump administration moved ahead with the sale despite outstanding questions from Meeks.
“This is yet another blatant rejection of Congress’ oversight role,” Meeks said in a statement on Friday. “Furthermore, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has not provided any adequate justification for bypassing the review process.”
A congressional aide described the move as “shocking but not surprising,” pointing to Trump’s history of disregarding legislative oversight, including his dismantling of USAID.
This marks the first major arms deal with Israel under Trump’s current administration, but follows billions in weapons sales under previous U.S. governments. Last summer, the Biden administration approved a $20 billion arms deal that included over 50 F-15 fighter jets.
Trump has claimed—without evidence—that he lifted a so-called “de facto arms embargo” on Israel imposed by the Biden administration. While Biden did pause a shipment of 2,000-pound bombs last year due to concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza, his administration continued other arms sales to Israel, including a separate $1 billion deal.
Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned in 2023 over Biden’s Gaza policy, condemned Trump’s move, saying it disregarded congressional authority.
“This is a direct insult to lawmakers and a reckless decision given Trump’s own comments about Gaza being a ‘hell and a demolition site,’” Paul said. “These are the very weapons that created that devastation.”
