Summary and Key Points: Two key Democratic lawmakers, Rep. Gregory Meeks and Sen. Ben Cardin, have approved the Biden administration's $18 billion weapon sale to Israel, which includes 50 F-15 fighter jets. Despite concerns over Israel's actions in Gaza, the sale was greenlit with the stipulation for Israel to improve humanitarian efforts.
-The F-15EX Eagle II, a modern evolution of the F-15, will replace Israel’s aging fleet. This approval is significant for Boeing, the manufacturer, as it strengthens Israel’s defense capabilities amid ongoing regional threats.
Two key Democratic lawmakers have pledged to approve the Biden administration's weapon sale to Israel. The $18 billion package, the largest for the Middle Eastern ally to date, includes 50 F-15 fighter jets. There has been speculation that there would be hold-up on Capitol Hill over the sale as lawmakers have expressed concern over Israel's handling of its war in Gaza against the Hamas terrorist group.
However, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. Ben Cardin, the Maryland Democrat who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, both signed off on the arms sale on Monday evening, The Washington Post first reported.
Both lawmakers have issued statements confirming their approval.
"I have been in close touch with the White House and (National Security Council) about this and other arms cases for Israel and have repeatedly urged the administration to continue pushing Israel to make significant and concrete improvements on all fronts when it comes to humanitarian efforts and limiting civilian casualties," Meeks said, noting that Israel faces security threats beyond Gaza. "I continue to support the administration's pause on certain munitions transfers due to concerns about ongoing civilian casualties in Gaza."
Meeks had previously told CNN that he would hold up any weapons that could lead to more civilian casualties, and that included Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which can be employed to retrofit unguided bombs with precision guidance.
The White House has continued to press both sides to reach a cease-fire.
Israel has been one of the most successful operators of the F-15 Eagle, and it has been employed in more than 100 aerial sorties with no losses. It famously employed eight of the air superiority fighters – locally designated at the BAZ – in a ground attack mission to bomb the PLO headquarters in Tunis in 1985. It later adopted the F-15I Ra'am (Hebrew for "Thunder"), a variation of the F-15E Strike Eagle equipped with an avionics system to meet Israeli requirements.
The Israeli Air Force also continues to operate around 90 F-15s in various configurations and has been seeking to replace its aging aircraft with the new F-15EX Eagle II, now produced by Boeing. The Israeli Ministry of Defense officially requested twenty-five F-15EX fighters from the United States more than a year ago, while an official Letter of Request (LOR) was sent last fall.
The F-15EX is essentially a 21st-century evolution of the proven F-15E. It is an all-weather multirole strike fighter that can be employed in a ground-attack role as well as air superiority. According to Boeing, "The F-15EX is a ready-now replacement for the F-15C that includes best-in-class payload, range and speed. Designed to deliver value to the U.S. Air Force, the F-15EX will be the backbone fighter for the servicenot just today, but for the next several decades."
There had been questions as to whether lawmakers would approve the sale. It will still be some time before the Eagle IIs are headed to the Middle East, but it will be a bit of good news for Boeing – and possibly at time when the aerospace firm needs it!
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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