Trump Sends More Weapons to Israel, Again Bypassing Congressional Oversight | Palestine Policy Roundup 5.5.26
Welcome to the Palestine Policy Roundup, a weekly publication of the IMEU Policy Project.
THE HUMAN COST OF WAR: BY THE NUMBERS:
🇵🇸 GAZA: 824 killed since the beginning of Trump's Gaza plan (Palestinian Ministry of Health); at least 2,400 Israeli violations of Trump's Gaza plan (Gaza Government Media Office); 72,612 killed during Israel's genocide (Palestinian Ministry of Health)
🇮🇷 IRAN: 3,375 killed (Iran Ministry of Health)
🇱🇧 LEBANON: 2,679 killed (Lebanon Ministry of Public Health); 1.1 million displaced (UN)
🇮🇱 ISRAEL: 26 killed (Israel Ministry of Health)
🇺🇲 US: 13 servicemembers killed (US Military)
🚨 STATE DEPARTMENT NOTIFIES CONGRESS OF MORE WEAPONS TO ISRAEL
Last Friday evening, the State Department announced a new weapons package for Israel valued at nearly $1 billion. The weapons included are Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems, laser-guided rockets which can be fired from aircraft or helicopters. This weapons giveaway is part of a slate of transfers both to Israel and to Gulf countries, valued at more than $8.5 billion.
BYPASSING CONGRESS: The Trump administration is bypassing Congressional review of these transfers. This is the fifth time that the administration has flouted Congressional prerogatives to expedite the delivery of US weapons to Israel.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks criticized this move as an abuse of the Arms Export Control Act. Congress was not notified of these deliveries prior to their announcement.
PREPARING FOR MORE WAR:These weapons transfers can't be separated from the administration's repeated threats to continue its illegal war on Iran, particularly after escalations on Monday.
⚠️ US-ISRAEL MOU NEGOTIATIONS TO BEGIN THIS MONTH
Negotiations for the next memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the US and Israel are set to begin this month, according to a report by Israeli media.
MISLEADING MODEL: Negotiations will reportedly focus on reaching another decade-long deal that would continue to force US taxpayers to pay for weapons to Israel.
While this deal would reportedly begin to phase out the direct US funding of weapons to Israel through Foreign Military Financing (FMF), US taxpayers would still pay for the co-development and co-production of weapons–a model that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has touted.
BAIT AND SWITCH: Such an arrangement would actually serve to further enmesh US and Israeli weapons makers, potentially making the US even more directly complicit in Israel's violations of the human rights of Palestinians. American taxpayers would still be on the hook for these programs, which would be funded by appropriations for the Department of War rather than the State Department.
📖 LEARN MORE about how this arrangement is a bait and switch in a recent policy memo published by IMEU Policy Project.
A COMPREHENSIVE ARMS EMBARGO: Instead of entering into another MOU with Israel, the US must meet its obligations to end weapons to Israel under both international and US law.
Several laws and international conventions, including the Foreign Assistance Act, the Arms Export Control Act, the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and others clarify US obligations to immediately halt weapons deliveries to Israel.
📖 LEARN MORE about the laws that compel the US to impose a comprehensive arms embargo in IMEU Policy Project's latest policy memo.
⏳ ISRAEL EXPANDS GAZA CONTROL, REPORTEDLY PREPARES FOR ASSAULT
Last month, Israel revealed to humanitarian groups that it has expanded its area of control in Gaza by establishing an "orange line." With this addition, nearly two-thirds of Gaza is now under Israeli military occupation, increased from approximately one-half of the territory as was established by the first phase of the Trump plan for Gaza.
EXPANDED CONTROL: This new line is beyond the Israeli redeployment line, also known as the yellow line, demarcated in the Trump plan for Gaza. It incorporates another 10% of Gaza under Israeli control.
This expanded area of control also serves to cut off even more Palestinians from their homes. Palestinians have reported several Israeli attacks within the area that is demarcated by the new line.
Humanitarian organizations also report that the restrictions imposed by Israel via this new orange line will impact their ability to provide critical aid to Palestinian survivors of Israel's genocide.
While some parts of the yellow line are marked, the orange line is invisible on the ground, posing a dangerous risk for Palestinians who approach this area. Israel has routinely killed Palestinians who approach the yellow line. The Israeli military has also routinely expanded the yellow line.
MORE VIOLENCE?: This new orange line came as the Israeli military reportedly prepares to expand military operations against Palestinians in Gaza, according to Israeli Army Radio.
This reporting comes amid questions about US commitments to the Trump plan for Gaza. Last Sunday, it was reported that the US-led Civilian Military Coordination Center, where the US military ostensibly oversees the implementation of the Trump plan for Gaza, is set to close. President Trump's corporate board, which has assumed control over Gaza, has denied this report.
👀 ICYMI: MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SPEAK OUT
Rep. Ilhan Omar: "Israel murdered Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil. Killing journalists in a war zone is a war crime, and Israel has been doing it with impunity for years. The U.S. cannot continue to be complicit in Israel's crimes against humanity."
Sen. Chris Van Hollen: "Outrageous. Trump plans to deny legal residency in the US based on whether he agrees with your speech. Since when did it become 'anti-American' to criticize the actions of a foreign government? Who is he fighting for?"
Rep. Chuy Garcia: "[Khamis] Ayyad was a U.S. citizen who raised his five children in my district. As with all Americans killed abroad, his family deserves at minimum a credible and independent investigation into his death. But no serious steps have been taken by this or any administration to ensure accountability for the nine Americans killed in the occupied West Bank since 2022. I join Mr. Ayyad's family in demanding an investigation into his killing, and I urge the U.S. government to protect American citizens in the West Bank and to stop enabling Israeli settler violence."
Sen. Ruben Gallego, in response to Israel reportedly purchasing stolen Ukrainian grain: "Israel should not be in the business of cashing in on Russian war crimes. If Netanyahu's government chooses to legitimize this kind of behavior, the repercussions will extend far beyond Ukraine. An ally should act like an ally."
Rep. Rashida Tlaib: "The Israeli military has attacked and kidnapped 211 brave humanitarians trying to bring aid to Gaza. This is an outrageous act of piracy committed over 600 miles into international waters. They are still blockading and starving Gaza. Free them all now, and end the genocide."
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