Reversing Biden’s pause, Trump to deliver 2,000-pound bombs to Israel
The decision removes a hold Joe Biden had placed on the bombs due to concerns about the way Israel would use them
U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu participate in a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House, Sept. 15, 2020. (Doug Mills/Pool/Getty Images)
(JTA) — President Donald Trump will allow the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, removing a hold his predecessor, Joe Biden, had placed on the ordnance.
The change comes during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that Trump played a key role in brokering. In the days since he took office, Trump has sent mixed signals about how active he’ll be in advancing the ceasefire agreement, some of which has yet to be negotiated.
Biden had blocked the delivery of the bombs due to concerns surrounding Israel’s invasion of the city of Rafah in Gaza. While the Biden administration said those were the only bombs it did not give Israel, Biden’s pro-Israel critics — including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — pointed to the holdup as evidence that the administration was not fully supportive of Israel.
Netanyahu also suggested the White House was blocking other weapons shipments, which administration officials denied.
On Saturday, Axios reported that Trump would allow Israel to receive the bombs. Hours later, Trump posted on social media that Israel would obtain weapons it had paid for but had yet to receive.
“A lot of things that were ordered and paid for by Israel, but have not been sent by Biden, are now on their way!” Trump posted on his social network.
The delivery of the bombs marks at least the second time this week Trump has reversed a Biden policy on Israel. In an executive order on Inauguration Day, he also removed the sanctions Biden had placed on extremist Israeli settlers.
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