Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., on Friday sent a letter to the State Department asking why the Biden administration is withholding congressionally approved military equipment and munitions from the Israeli military and law enforcement.
In the letter addressed to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Tuberville wrote, "Failure to provide equipment as required by statute and legally purchased through our robust Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process is not only unlawful, but undermines decades of cooperation and U.S. foreign policy Interests."
He goes on to say that Israel, since its founding after World War II, has been under constant attack from state and nonstate actors, most recently when Hamas sparked a war by unleashing a devastating assault on the Jewish state last October. The letter calls the ongoing situation "dire," noting that Iran and its proxies "continue to plan and execute attacks on Israeli civilians."
He adds, "As Israel defends itself, the United States has pledged unwavering support to its efforts. Hamas must be eliminated, and Iran must be deterred."
Tuberville continued, "Withholding vital weapons and munitions from both the Israeli military and law enforcement is immoral and needlessly weakens one of our strongest allies in a time of critical need."
The letter concludes with a request for the State Department to provide by Aug. 30 an unclassified report answering a series of questions, including the timing and amount of funding the United States has sent Israel in fiscal year 2024.
Earlier this month, Tuberville was one of 48 senators who sent a letter to the White House condemning the Biden administration for "deliberately delaying the delivery of weapons, ammunition, and equipment to Israel."
The U.S. has approved $20 billion in arms sales to Israel, including scores of fighter jets and advanced air-to-air missiles, the State Department announced Tuesday.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Kate McManus ✉
Kate McManus is a New Jersey-based Newsmax writer who's spent more than two decades as a journalist.
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