U.S. sending aircraft carrier, destroyer, munitions to help ‘protect the Israeli people’
A fighter jet lands on the US aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford in the North Sea off Denmark on May 22, 2023. Photo by Getty Images
This article originally appeared on Haaretz, and was reprinted here with permission. Sign up here to get Haaretz’s free Daily Brief newsletter delivered to your inbox.
The U.S. is sending Navy and military aircraft to the Eastern Mediterranean in a show of support for Israel, shortly after U.S. President told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that help is already on its way.
“I have directed the movement of the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to the Eastern Mediterranean,” U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Austin said the steps were taken “to strengthen Department of Defense posture in the region to bolster regional deterrence efforts.”
Strengthing the joint force posture in addition to the rapidly provided material support, Austin said, “underscores the Untied States’ ironclad support for the Israel Defense Forces and the Israeli people.
The ships in question include a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser and for Burke-class guided missile cruisers.
The U.S. is also augmenting U.S. Air Force F-35, F-15, F-16 and A-10 fighter aircraft squadrons, and will be “rapidly providing the Israel Defense Forces with additional equipment and resources, including munitions. The first security assistance will begin moving today and arrive in the coming days.”
Among the other measures possibly under consideration includes the release of the stockpile of U.S. ammunition stored in Israel that Israel is allowed to access in case of emergencies. Much of that ammunition has been sent to Ukraine, to the chagrin of Israeli officials, though U.S. officials believe there is enough remaining in the stockpile for Israeli usage.
“USCENTCOM stands firmly with our Israeli and regional partners to address the risks of any party seeking to expand the conflict,” CENTCOM Commander Gen. Erik Kurilla said, with the U.S. military noting it “maintains ready forces globally to further enforce this posture if required.”
While U.S. lawmakers across the political spectrum have supported legislation calling for supplemental military aid to Israel, it is highly unclear whether Congress has the authority to move new bills forward without a House speaker in place.
The acting speaker pro tempore, Rep. Patrick McHenry, may not even have authority to bring bills to the House floor or attend so-called Gang of 8 intelligence briefings of House and Senate leaders.“It’s actually something we were discussing today, because there probably is a role for Congress here, and without a speaker of the house, that is a unique situation we’re going to have to work through,” the senior U.S. official said.But unlike previous rounds of fighting between Hamas and Israel, there seems to be near unanimous support for Israel this time – from both houses of Congress and both parties at all levels, including progressive lawmakers typically critical of Israel.
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