U.S. sending Israel more than 20,000 assault rifles that Biden had delayed: sources
Biden administration delayed sale over concerns weapons could be used by extremist Israeli settlers
Image | ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/USA-ARMS
Caption: Members of Israeli forces stand guard outside the Israeli military prison Ofer, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on Feb. 8, 2025. The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 U.S.-made assault rifles to Israel last month after it had been delayed by former president Joe Biden. (Ammar Awad/Reuters)
The Trump administration moved forward with the sale of more than 20,000 U.S.-made assault rifles to Israel last month, according to a document seen by Reuters and a source familiar with the matter — a sale the administration of former president Joe Biden delayed over concerns they could be used by extremist Israeli settlers.
The State Department sent a notification to Congress on March 6 of the $24-million US sale of the Colt Carbine 5.56 mm calibre fully automatic rifles, saying the end user would be the Israeli National Police, according to the document.
The rifle sale is a small transaction next to the billions of dollars' worth of weapons that Washington supplies to Israel. But it drew attention when the Biden administration delayed the sale over concerns that the weapons could end up in the hands of Israeli settlers, some of whom have attacked Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Biden administration had imposed sanctions on individuals and entities accused of committing violence in the West Bank, which has seen a rise in settler attacks on Palestinians.
On his first day in office on Jan. 20, Trump issued an executive order rescinding the sanctions on the settlers. Since then, his administration has approved the sale of billions of dollars' worth of weapons to Israel.
The March 6 congressional notification said the U.S. government had taken into account "political, military, economic, human rights, and arms control considerations."
The State Department did not provide comment when asked whether the administration sought assurances from Israel on the use of the weapons.
Netanyahu and Trump's close ties
Since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel has occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians want as the core of an independent state, and has built settlements that most countries deem illegal. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.
Settler violence had been on the rise prior to the eruption of the Gaza war, and has worsened since the conflict began over a year ago.
Trump has forged close ties with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pledging to back Israel in its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. His administration has in some cases pushed ahead with Israel arms sales despite requests from Democratic U.S. lawmakers that the sales be paused until they received more information.
The U.S. Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a bid to block $8.8 billion in arms sales to Israel over human rights concerns, voting 82-15 and 83-15 to reject two resolutions of disapproval over sales of massive bombs and other offensive military equipment.
The resolutions were offered by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with Democrats.
The rifle sale had been put on hold after Democratic lawmakers objected and sought information on how Israel planned to use them. The congressional committees eventually cleared the sale, but the Biden administration kept the hold in place.
The latest episode in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict began with a Hamas-led attack on Israeli communities on Oct. 7, 2023, with gunmen killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's retaliatory campaign has so far killed more than 50,000 Palestinians, Gaza health authorities say.
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Netanyahu's government, oversees the Israeli police force. The Times of Israel newspaper reported in November 2023 that his ministry put "a heavy emphasis on arming civilian security squads" in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attacks.
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Toronto Sun
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Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account And Iran, in particular, has shown itself to be an unequalled master at promoting propaganda and lies. Around the same time that Israel is commencing its long-overdue effort to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Natasha Hausdorff agrees to meet. The location is apt: the Nova Festival exhibit in Toronto, where the story is told of the 378 Israelis – and Canadians, and Americans, and Britons – who were slaughtered by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The exhibit is harrowing and disturbing, and the organizers have done an extraordinary job of capturing the sadness and horror of that day. 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Israeli police said debris from the interception of drones and missiles fell in dozens of locations in northern Israel, causing damage and fires but no injuries. Israel's main international airport said Saturday it will remain closed until further notice. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Indications of a new Israeli attack Iranian state television reported online that air defenses were firing in the cities of Khorramabad, Kermanshah and Tabriz. Footage from Tabriz showed black smoke rising from the city. An Israeli military official said Saturday that the military was poised to carry out more strikes in Iran, saying, 'This is not over.' He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with official procedures. Israel's army spokesman, Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, said Israel had attacked more than 400 targets across Iran, including 40 in Tehran, where dozens of fighter jets were 'operating freely.' He said it was the deepest point Israel's air force had operated. 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U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council that the above-ground section of the Natanz facility was destroyed. The main centrifuge facility underground did not appear to have been hit, but the loss of power could have damaged the infrastructure there, he said. Israel said it also struck a nuclear research facility in Isfahan, including 'infrastructure for enriched uranium conversion,' and said it destroyed dozens of radar installations and surface-to-air missile launchers in western Iran. Iran confirmed the strike at Isfahan. The Israeli military official said that according to the army's initial assessment 'it will take much more than a few weeks' for Iran to repair the damage to the Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. The official said the army had 'concrete intelligence that production in Isfahan was for military purposes.' 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Associated Press writers Natalie Melzer in Nahariya, Israel, and Nasser Karimi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
