The Washington Post quoted three unnamed officials as saying that two senior Democratic members of the US Congress agreed to support a major arms deal to Israel that includes 50 F-15 fighter jets worth more than $18 billion.
The newspaper reported that Representative Gregory Meeks and Senator Ben Cardin signed the deal under intense pressure from the administration of President Joe Biden after the two lawmakers caused the sale to be postponed for several months.
Eric Harris, communications director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement to the newspaper, “All of Chairman Cardin’s issues and concerns were addressed through our ongoing consultations with the administration, which is why he felt it was appropriate to allow this matter to move forward.”
Meeks also told the newspaper that he is in close contact with the White House and is urging them to put pressure on Israel regarding humanitarian efforts and civilian casualties. The newspaper quoted him as saying that the F-15 aircraft would not be delivered for “years from now.”
Pressure is increasing on Biden from members of his Democratic Party because of his unlimited support for Israel in light of its ongoing 8-month attack on Gaza, which resulted in the martyrdom of more than 37,000 Palestinians and the displacement of nearly 2.3 million people.