5mo ago

US approves $7.4bn sale of more weapons to Israel used to ravage Gaza

www.theguardian.com

The United States has announced the approval of the sale of more than $7.4bn in bombs, missiles and related equipment to Israel, which has used American-made weapons to devastating effect during the war in Gaza.

The state department has signed off on the sale of $6.75bn in bombs, guidance kits and fuses, in addition to $660m in Hellfire missiles, according to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA).

The proposed sale of the bombs “improves Israel’s capability to meet current and future threats, strengthen its homeland defense, and serves as a deterrent to regional threats”, the DSCA said in a statement.

261 comments

B...b...but the Democrats are genociders so I didn't vote or voted 3rd party to help the Palestinians.
Did I help? Did I help them? Does this help them?
- While I don’t disagree, I feel like we need to talk more about how disconnected the Democratic Party is from what their base actually wants. Them being diet republicans ain’t cutting it
  
  True. But at the same time you're not going to get any of that by not voting and letting Republicans get elected. I mean get you butts out there and primary these centrist lead weights.
  
  Doesnt this boil down to the usual "the left falls in love, while the right falls in line"? hard to fall in love with your alliy's ongoing war crimes and lefties are renowed for not falling in line even against their best interests. Makes it hard to win as an incumbent, though, how did Obama win reelection, he wouldn't have been mistaken for a saint the second time round.
  PS: got it, it's because Romney still couldn't make the right fall in line hard enough comparing with the love for Obama.
  
  I feel like we need to talk more about how disconnected the Democratic Party is from what their base actually wants
  Did you feel this need before the election too? Because a lot of people did and that is who we're talking about here.
  
  Have you actually looked at their platform? Or are you just repeating "Republican lite" because that's what all your social circle says?
  
  Gee, would have been nice to have democracy a few more years to maybe try and fix it.
  
  Agreed, but the roar of such sentiment just prior to the election that immediately died out tells you most people saying that didn't actually believe it.
  Those who do kept their mouths shut until after the election, because we knew doing otherwise would just elect Trump.
  
  They couldn't win an election as diet republicans.
  They're not going to win if they move further left.
- None of the votes during this past election would have helped Palestine. That’s the point. You gotta think long term. Dems and Reps suck.
  Our two party, single vote system isn’t working for the people and they want you to believe it is. Control your politicians. Don’t let them control you.
  
  For the US, sure.
  Letting in the Tangerine Mussolini means there won’t be a Palestine by the end of his term.
- June 29, 2024 US has sent Israel thousands of 2,000-pound bombs since Oct. 7
  Biden only stopped sending them after there was nothing left to destroy in Gaza.
- Who was president when Israel flattened Gaza? Who sent them the weapons to do it? Why do you excuse Biden and the Democrats role in the genocide just because Trump is worse?
  The Harris campaign purposefully ignored anyone asking about Gaza.
  “We also didn’t create a new category for Gaza responses out of fear that category would be leaked. Instead we were told to mark them as ‘no response,’” the organizer said, faulting top Harris campaign leaders for failing to address the issue. “The only ‘clowns’ out there are those who were in senior leadership and decided to abdicate on this issue, who silenced a Palestinian speaker at the DNC, and who told us to ignore it every time a voter asked us about Gaza.”
  I am increasingly disgusted by liberals. I am never voting Democrat again, it is past Biden or Harris being bad, it is the entire base that is genocidal except with polite rhetoric.
  
  Who is president while Native Americans and Puerto Ricans are being arrested by ICE and threatened with deportation?
  Who is president while America gives up on every single climate goal?
  Who is president while Elon Musk's people have been given total access to U.S. finances without any sort of security clearances?
  I could go on, but I won't, because you are acting like the election was some sort of referendum on Israel. And all I can say to that is that I hope you have the white privilege to not be affected by this at the level of anyone who's skin is a darker shade of peach and the cisgender, heterosexual privilege as well.
  
  Excuse is a different thing altogether than a vote. One is a state of mind. The other impacts who is president and brings that administrations actions into reality. Anyone who did not vote Democrat is responsible for the net difference in those outcomes. A vote is not a protest.
- There was one shot at helping the people of Palestine, that was the Democrats.
  They refused to listen to voters and instead took in billions of lobbying from Zionists.
  The only blame lies solely on Kamala and her greed. Imagine thinking stopping Trump was less important than making money.
  
  I wonder if you will keep rehashing the election even as people are being loaded into boxcars?
  "I told you trans people to vote third party, but you had to vote for Kamala, didn't you? Bye-bye!"
The US and Israel are cartoon villains at this point.
- alwayshasbeen.jpg
Imagine paying off student loans with that money.
- Imagine eliminating homelessness with that money.
  
  No Way Jesus would allow that! /s
- "But we need indentured servants!" - the rich
  
  Bruh then what's the point of AI
- Even if this is technically true, if there is a certain amount of aid and a certain percent goes to US deals that are exported, and then the aid gets bigger with the expectation of larger more expensive export deals, I'm just not sure if this is meaningfully true rather than technically true. I am not downvoting you, BTW, I appreciate the correction, but just belive you are are confusing a semantic difference with actual ignorance.
  
  While "better" still betting not going to pay for anything useful.
Where are all the “We need to stop sending money overseas” voters? Did they win yet?
- Well, they stopped sending money to Ukraine, so I guess thats part of their stance fulfilled.
  
  And stopped enforcing the sanctions on Russia that were created by the legislature. If the executive branch does not execute the laws made by the legislature then we are not a republic. We are now a dictatorship.
- Seriously, them and trumpers' voters are awfully quiet...
- Bullshit, Israel continues to receive monetary aid from the US and the latest weapons sales includes federal subsidies. US and German taxpayers always pay for weapons destined for Israel.
  
  Good to know it now becomes a good thing since the US is getting something out of it, great line in the sand.
Fun fact: Genocide Donald is the oldest president the United States has ever had.
- Oldest elected or will be the oldest by the time his term ends? Biden is currently older but was elected at a younger age.
  
  So there is still time...
- Sleepy Don
- Orange Senile Whackjob.
Where's all the idiots who wouldn't vote "for genocide" at?
- You see it was impossible to take a nuanced position and vote for the lesser of two evils.
  
  But they can claim moral superiority, and we all know that's what's most important when it comes down to it.
  
  Yup
  
  So far the bigger evil has secured a working ceasefire and people aren't dying to those bombs at the moment. Which is infinitely better than "genocide is ongoing".
- How much military aid did we send to Israel under Biden? And Kamala was different from him, how? How many UN motions were vetoed by a Democrat administration to prolong the genocide? I ate shit and voted for Democrats again, but there was never anyone to vote for that wasn't going to support the genocide of Palestinians.
  
  Way too much
  
  Biden stopped sending bombs and artillery that was being used to level Gaza.
  Those are the exact weapons Trump is starting to send again.
  Stop trying to equivocate. Trump is significantly worse for Gaza than Biden or Harris.
- How much did Joe send every year?
- Why was it more important for Kamala to continue the genocide than to win over those non-voters?
- Are you saying voters shouldn't be shocked? I think many Christians are indifferent at best and complicit at worst. If some Muslims hadn't sat out the election or voted Stein, would it have made a difference? It seemed like Trump was voted in by a landslide because average middle class people hate inflation and Biden was quasi-gaslighting people with CPI inflation statistics that include decreased smart TV prices and RAM costs as well as increased rent and food at similar weights that doesn't reflect what hurts consumers most while failing to reassure the public that yes, it was a problem, and that he was trying to do something. For about 2 years there was a major problem with nothing done by Biden. He was going to get voted out and Kamela Harris, who was in power and could have galvanized some sort of policy instead of doing nothing for 2 years was going to get voted out. They failed the public in a very important way and pretended the inflation problem wasn't bad. It upset people, even Democrats and liberals, and lost them almost all of the moderate vote.
- Was it more important for liberals and Kamala to lose the election than stand for Palestine?
  How much did Biden send to Israel?
- Imagine saying that line unironically. Serious Nazi vibes here at .world.
  
  Imagine killing over forty thousand vs under two thousand and calling people who opposed the slaughter of thousands of women and babies Nazis? Go to hell.
- This same infighting comment in every single thread.
  
  No, but that's a good idea.
- They didn't want to participate in warcrimes.
- Here waiting for you to stop infighting and join us in the real world.
Good on the AFP for being willing to put the critical context in the headline instead of just trying to present bland data.
Where are all the fascists that are crying about less government and keeping our money in the US and only for the US?
Wasn't that the whole argument of dismantling USAID?
Answer: Republicans are full of shit and so are Musk, Donald, Vance and all the rest.
- Where are all the fascists that are crying about less government and keeping our money in the US and only for the US?
  They label it a sale and it's suddenly OK. They ALSO send a lot of aid, but that's only a bad thing when a democrat is in charge. Now that republicans are in charge, Israel is part of the US as far as aid and such is concerned.
When will DOGE cut this spending?
I imagine they’re fortifying against Iran, or God knows who else they’re pissing off.
- The whole of Middle East for starters, and then many other parts of Asia and Africa. Israel is despised
Ah yes, lets turn the rubble into ash
- Hi might just hire the Palestinians he removed from Gaza to help them clean up the place, just in time for ground breaking.
  At least he's not Kamala.
  /s for all the easily triggered assholes
I'm sorry people of Gaza, this is really evil and as a US person who has paid taxes, I'm a part of it. I wish I could stop it but am poor, I'm not sure protesting would work. I feel helpless and also responsible. This is no different than when everyone looked the other way and refused to take Jewish people during WWII. I am sorry for not realizing what this was sooner and disbelieving the severity and evilness of it at first. :-( There's really no way for me to opt out of this unless I leave the US, become like Henry David Thoreau and just don't participate in society, which may mean death for me, or actually just choose to die so I no longer have to be part of a disgusting and evil society. The regular people of Gaza aren't part of this war and war crimes are being committed. It probably means nothing but I'm so so sorry.
- Don't worry fellow US citizen. God will do something I'm sure. Any day now God will help those in need. Any.... Day now.
  
  I get your sarcasm, but what should I be doing as a poor US citizen?
  -Writing letters? (Unlikely to persuade people because opinions are divided on humanitarian versus hard-core Christian theologian views. I would need to remotely deprogram elected officials for this to work.)
  -Holding signs to protest? (Unlikely to persuade for the same reasons.)
  -Sending lengthy theological arguments to right-wing types? (I could try it. It would be strange coming from an atheist but I could try? It would be more effective than trying to deprogram them.)
  -Donations? (I looked at some organizations helping Gaza and many of their leaders make substantially more than me per year and I'm dealing with financial hardship. It's hard for me to donate to an organization with leaders who have high salaries while I struggle with bills, but maybe that's a bad excuse. Maybe some leaders with high salaries donate to their own organization, but if so it wasn't listed.)
  -Direct donations? (I should probably do this, and I'm not sure how to do this.)
  Please, tell me the appropriate response for a poor person, even if it's anything other than nothing. I just feel like nothing I do will be effective.
Are they going to send back eggs?
but hey he wants a fast start building the riviera of the middle east
The ceasefire has been in effect since January 19. Gazans have been returning to their rubble. There have been prisoner swaps and hostage releases.
So, for context, this is an improvement. Selling arms that aren't actively being used is a whole lot better than when they are.
Again: not directly funding an ongoing genocide was not a major hurdle nor the big ask it was made out to be.
A ongoing and lasting ceasefire is an extreme gamechanger on Israel policy.
- Are you fucking for real? You are trying to spin this as positive? Y'all are delusional.
  
  I am indeed making the delusionally brave stance of spinning a seemingly lasting ceasefire as a positive.
- Netanyahu: I would like to buy seven billions worth of your finest bombs, please. I have no intention to use them, pinkie swear.
  You: I trust this reliable upstanding moral character, if he says he won't use them, he really means it.
- What are you believing in exactly? You literally think Netanyahu is going to stop after this sale?
  
  No. My belief is that a ceasefire is a better condition than no ceasefire.
So the same as Biden but liberals have a selective memory.
Here's a few articles to remind the intentionally forgetful liberals:
March 2024 U.S. sends more weapons to Israel amid growing calls for cease-fire
June 2024 US has sent Israel thousands of 2,000-pound bombs since Oct. 7
Anyways keep going mask off. Good luck getting any of us to vote Democratic ever again. It is clearly isn't just a few Democratic politicians who are bad, it is the entire party base that's a basket of deplorables to quote a prominent Democrat.
- So let's say this issue is a push... Now how about EVERY OTHER FUCKING THING HAPPENING?
  STOP trying to draw a false equivalency between the two paths we had available to us.
  
  You will not find a more peaceful and just society on the paths presented by the oligarchy.
  You will have to remove both machinations of the oligarchy from power.
- So the same as Biden but liberals have a selective memory.
  Then I guess there should have been other reasons to stop Trump from getting into office.
  Good luck getting any of us to vote Democratic ever again.
  You still think Republicans will have elections that aren't the kind they have in Russia.
  Amazing how many people still think America still works by the rules.
axis of evil and has been. you vote democrat, you vote republican, you vote for genocide. simple as.
- Yeah, because all things are equal. At least to simpletons.
- Think the Democrats would build Gaza a Lago?
  
  No, they’d just quietly fund the Israeli plan for the same result.
  
  Do you know which politician has taken the most money from Israel? I think that he was happy to support their genocide, and his vice president was no different.
  Trump is absolutely a nightmare but trying to pretend that Democrats weren't also a nightmare on this issue is ridiculous. The halls of Congress are full of Israeli flags. There is no voting to help. Palestinians meaningfully possible.
- But you do realize that trump is much much much much worse, right? It’s not just about the genocide, you know.
  
  These people have enough privilege that they know they won't be put in the camps first. And they probably think they never will. So it's no risk to them.
  
  To some people the genocide overshadows anything else because... Y'know, it is/was a genocide. Telling those people that "it's not just about the genocide" is, frankly, barking up the wrong tree.
  
  Worse how? In terms of for Palestine. They were always screwed no matter what. It seems to me that Trump is pretty much identical to Biden in terms of supporting Palestine, except he's an idiot and says the quiet part out loud while Biden just recited Zionist talking points.
  
  i don't think he's much much much much worse, that's too many muchs- maaaybe much much worse- and that's neither here or there.. genocide IS a reasonable red line and you can't gaslight me off my solid footing in that regard.
- At this point, some people have become walking textbook trolley problems, where to make a choice that makes you moral in one dimension you become a monster in all the others and make everyone worse in the process. But your conscience is safe, thank you for that.
  
  it is safe because i didn't allow myself to reduce supporting genocide to a trolley problem.
- Sometimes you have to choose the lesser evil, and you did good in the difference.
  
  and sometimes you have a conscience that doesn't allow you to rationalize away complicity in genocide
- This is down voted for some reason but it's literally true. No matter who you voted for no matter whether you voted or not you voted for genocide in this election. Pure facts.
- lol cope

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