{"id":17309,"date":"2021-05-18T20:09:11","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T20:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2021\/05\/18\/democrats-scuttle-effort-to-delay-israel-arms-sale\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:30:38","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:30:38","slug":"democrats-scuttle-effort-to-delay-israel-arms-sale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/2021\/05\/18\/democrats-scuttle-effort-to-delay-israel-arms-sale\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats scuttle effort to delay Israel arms sale"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 Senior House Democrats considered and then on Tuesday scuttled a letter to President Joe Biden to demand he delay a pending $735 million sale of precision-guided missiles to Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The move highlighted an intraparty split on whether to step up pressure for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas or take stiffer measures to end the fighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., said he decided against requesting a delay after the Biden administration agreed to hold an \u201cinformational session\u201d with lawmakers, likely for Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an about-face for Meeks that seems aimed to stifle a row between progressives and the White House. According to multiple reports, Meeks told committee Democrats during an emergency virtual meeting late Monday that he planned to send a letter to the White House requesting ta delay in the sale, which reportedly included Joint Direct Attack Munitions, or JDAMs, made by Boeing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we wanted to do is have a dialogue and conversation,\u201d Meeks said Tuesday. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have a meeting with the administration tomorrow where the issues and the questions that one may have will be able to be asked, and that was the purpose of considering the letter.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meeks also pointed to the rocket fire against Israel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHamas is sending thousands of rockets over to Israel,\u201d he said. Thank God we do have Iron Dome. That\u2019s important. So, we all want \u2015 and I could tell you that took place in the meeting \u2015 to get to the point where there\u2019s a cessation of aggressions on both sides.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The U.S. is Israel\u2019s top ally, and Israel historically has been the top recipient of U.S. foreign aid, according to the Congressional Research Service, part of what gives the United States more of whatever leverage international leaders have over Israel\u2019s decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers say the more than $140 billion in U.S. aid to Israel over the years has been for military purposes, including for the Israeli missile defense system Iron Dome.<\/p>\n\n\n\t