A top House Democrat opposes sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel

WASHINGTON – The top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee said he will oppose the Trump administration’s planned sale of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel, citing “grave, unresolved concerns about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon.”

Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-New York, said in a statement on Sept. 16 that the Trump administration “has not provided sufficient assurances that these weapons will be used by the Netanyahu government in accordance with U.S. law and with appropriate protections for civilians.”

President Donald Trump has prepared a $2.8 billion munitions package for Israel that includes 40,000 of the 2,000-pound bombs, which Meeks described as “some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal.”

The decision by Meeks to place a hold on the munitions package is unlikely to prevent the sale, as the Trump administration has ways to circumvent the opposition by declaring that an emergency requires an expedited sale of the weapons.

The proposed package for Israel, which was first reported by The Washington Post, would be the largest sale of 2,000-pound bombs in years. It would be financed by American taxpayers through a process in which the U.S. provides foreign governments with funds…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/