WSJ Report: Biden will accommodate Israel’s request for more weapons

The U.S. Biden administration is preparing to transfer more arms to Israel, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

“The proposed arms delivery includes roughly a thousand each of MK-82 bombs, KMU-572 Joint Direct Attack Munitions that add precision guidance to bombs, and FMU-139 bomb fuses,” the WSJ wrote, quoting current and former U.S. officials. The value of the weapons in question is estimated to be tens of millions of dollars.

The approval of the weapons transfer is not final and the details could still change, as it is still under review internally by the administration, according to a U.S. official.

Following the confirmation, the U.S. administration will then have to obtain approval for the delivery from congressional committee leaders.

The American Embassy in Israel, which drafted the proposed weapons delivery plan, stated that the Israeli government had requested “rapid acquisition of these items for the defense of Israel against continued and emerging regional threats.” 

The arms delivery to Israel would be financed using the military aid that Israel receives from the U.S., according to a former official in the U.S. government.

Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden introduced a new policy requiring nations that receive military aid from the U.S. to provide “credible and reliable written assurances” that it is complying with international human rights law.

The embassy stated that Israel’s conduct regarding human rights would not be a concern.

“Israel takes effective action to prevent gross violations of human rights and to hold security forces responsible that violate those rights,” the embassy’s assessment stated. “In the past, Israel has been a transparent partner in US investigations into allegations of defense article misuse.”

Since the Hamas terror organization’s surprise invasion and brutal massacre of Israelis on Oct. 7, the U.S. has provided Israel with roughly 21,000 units of precision-guided munition, according to the WSJ, which added that approximately half of them have already been used.

The remaining arms are enough to last for 19 more weeks of fighting in Gaza, according to U.S. military intelligence, but that would be reduced to just days if or when a full-scale war breaks out with Hezbollah terror forces, according to the WSJ report.

A senior Israeli official told ALL ISRAEL NEWS in late December that Israel was in crucial need of ammunition to continue making progress in its war against Hamas.

“As we go into 2024, Israel needs three things to win – ammunition, ammunition and ammunition,” the official said.

“We need ammunition of all kinds, but the more precision-guided missiles we have, the faster we can win and the fewer civilian casualties we will incur.”

News of the proposed weapons transfer came as the Israeli government rejected Washington’s attempt to forcibly establish a Palestinian state despite Israel’s opposition.

“Israel outright rejects international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the Palestinians. Such an arrangement will be reached only through direct negotiations between the parties, without preconditions,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

“Israel will continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such recognition in the wake of the October 7 massacre would give a huge reward to unprecedented terrorism and prevent any future peace settlement.”