US Bypasses Congress in $7 Billion Arms Deal to Israel

State Department Moves Forward with $7 Billion Arms Sale to Israel Without Congressional Approval

The US State Department has authorized a $7 billion weapons deal with Israel, sidestepping the standard congressional review process, according to House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks.

The package, which consists of thousands of Hellfire missiles and bombs, was approved just days after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s meeting with President Donald Trump and senior US officials in Washington, D.C. Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to visit the White House during Trump's second term.

Typically, major arms sales undergo congressional scrutiny, allowing lawmakers to raise concerns before approval. However, despite unanswered inquiries from Meeks and other committee members, the administration proceeded with the transaction.

“This is another blatant attempt by Donald Trump to undermine Congress’ rightful oversight,” Meeks said in a statement. He also criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio for failing to provide sufficient justification for bypassing legislative review.

A congressional staffer described the move as “disappointing but not surprising,” citing previous instances where the Trump administration acted without congressional consultation. The source pointed to Trump's aggressive restructuring of USAID as further evidence of his administration’s disregard for legislative oversight.

This latest sale marks the first major arms deal between Israel and the Trump administration. However, US-Israel defense cooperation has remained consistent across administrations. Last year, the Biden administration authorized a $20 billion arms package, which included over 50 F-15 fighter jets.

Trump has previously claimed that he lifted an alleged arms embargo on Israel imposed by Biden. In reality, the previous administration had only paused the delivery of 2,000-pound bombs over concerns about their potential use in Gaza. Meanwhile, the Biden White House was actively negotiating a separate $1 billion arms sale to Israel.

Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned in 2023 over US policy on Gaza, condemned the decision to bypass Congress, calling it “a direct affront to legislative oversight.”

“In light of Trump’s recent comments referring to Gaza as a demolition site, these are the very weapons that made it one,” said Paul, now leading an advocacy group pushing for reforms in US policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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