U.S. officials are considering pausing or slowing some arms shipments to Israel to convince the government to heed U.S. calls to scale back its military assault in Gaza.
    • athos77@kbin.social
      292·
      10 months ago

      Pretty much every other country we sent weapons to have limits placed on their use - why does Israel get this special exemption?

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
    389·
    10 months ago

    Biden sure as fuck loves looking into shit…

    But if Republicans block him in Congress. I bet he still goes around them and does it anyways.

    That’s the “slow down”.

    This time he might try and let it go thru the proper channels first

    Also:

    Biden has said for weeks that he’s been doing all he can to get Israel to change its military tactics.

    “I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza,” Biden said on Jan. 8 when confronted by protesters calling for a cease-fire. “I’ve been using all that I can to do that.”

    Keep in mind what Biden actually asked, was just for them to be quieter until the election was over.

    Because his only concern is about how his unconditional support of Israel’s genocide is inconvenient for his election.

    So it seems pretty rational that this is just some bullshit that won’t actually change anything, and is just Biden lying about what he’s doing.

    He’ll publicly say " slow down" right up until Nov 10th.

    And then regardless of if the president is Biden or trump, the genocide will continue with full American support.

    Because asking for “don’t fund a genocide” is asking too much in 2024.

    And American voters get zero say about it.

    • SkyezOpen@lemmy.world
      275·
      10 months ago

      I’ve considered thinking about putting some effort into paying my electricity bill, I’m not sure why the electric company keeps sending me nasty letters.

      • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
        236·
        10 months ago

        I’ve asked the credit card company to stop talking about all the money I owe till after my wedding.

        If my future spouse knew, we might not get married after all. So clearly the moral thing to do is hide the issue until the commitment is made and it’s too late

        I also demand everyone clap for me being so brave.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
    271·
    10 months ago

    Here’s the ugly truth: Israel doesn’t need U.S. weapons. Israel has plenty of their own weapons they can use and use them for a very long time. This is the way they’ve been stringing America along for decades. Begging for U.S. military aid because they’re so threatened while selling their own.

    The defense industry of Israel is a strategically important sector and a large employer, as well as a major supplier of the Israel Defense Forces. The country is one of the world’s major exporters of military equipment, accounting for 10% of the world total in 2007. Three Israeli companies were listed on the 2017 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute index of the world’s top 100 arms-producing and military service companies: Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries and RAFAEL.[1][2] It is also a major player in the global arms market and is the 6th largest arms exporter in the world as of 2014.[3] Total arms transfer agreements topped $12.9 billion between 2004 and 2011.[4] There are over 150 active defense companies based in the country with combined revenues of more than $3.5 billion annually.[5] Israeli defense equipment exports reached $7 billion in 2012, making it a 20 percent increase from the amount of defense-related exports in 2011. With the war in Ukraine, arms exports reached $12.5 billion in 2022.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defense_industry_of_Israel

    There is absolutely no reason to send a single bullet to Israel. Biden must know that.

    • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
      511·
      10 months ago

      I wouldn’t doubt they need specific things. Like motors for Arrow missles for the Iron dome and 155 shells in case Hezbollah acts up.

      • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
        192·
        10 months ago

        And their massive defense industry couldn’t produce those domestically somehow? I find that dubious if they’re the sixth largest arms exporter in the world, including one of the top 100 arms-producing aerospace companies. A top aerospace company can’t produce the right missiles for Israel? You expect me to buy that?

        And if so, maybe Israel should have geared their defense industry towards arming themselves.

        • lolcatnip@reddthat.comEnglish
          2·
          10 months ago

          Complicated machines tend to depend on complicated global supply chains. It’s not at all surprising that a small country would rely on foreign sources for essential parts. I know the US tries to rely on only domestic supply chains for anything related to “national security”, but the US is also unique in the size of its military industrial complex. If I had to guess, I’d say China is probably the only other country that can fully equip its military without the help of allies.

        • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
          311·
          10 months ago

          The rocket motors have always been supplied by the US. Other pieces of iron dome are supplied too. They build the rockets themselves.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldBEnglish
    11·
    10 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:

    The sources said Israeli officials continue to ask the administration for more weapons, including large aerial bombs, ammunition and air defenses.

    After weeks of private administration requests produced fewer results than the White House wants, the sources said, the U.S. is considering slowing or pausing the deliveries in the hope that doing so will prod the Israelis to take action, such as opening humanitarian corridors to provide more aid to Palestinian civilians.

    It marks a potential shift in Biden’s approach by going beyond rhetorical pressure, largely behind the scenes, and to making tangible policy changes aimed at getting Israel to act.

    The sources said senior Biden administration officials continue to be frustrated that Israel has often disregarded their calls for taking more care to minimize harm to Palestinian civilians, citing the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Khan Younis as the most recent example.

    That frustration recently escalated inside the Pentagon as well, while Biden and other White House officials have long been privately exasperated with Netanyahu’s handling of the war.

    “I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza,” Biden said on Jan. 8 when confronted by protesters calling for a cease-fire.

    The original article contains 649 words, the summary contains 201 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • Rapidcreek@lemmy.worldOP
    1617·
    10 months ago

    If Bibi torpedoes this latest hostage deal, then shipments should definitely be curtailed.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      288·
      10 months ago

      Suuuure.

      And if you’re good all year Santa will bring you a present.

      Biden is just worried how funding a genocide and all the other horrible shit will cost him the election.

      But that’s still not enough for him to actually cut support to Israel, not even for the next 7 months till the election

      Look for a lot of “strong words” like this leading up to the election.

      Regardless of if Biden wins or loses, we’re gonna be stuck funding a genocide.

      • Bipta@kbin.social
        114·
        10 months ago

        Biden is just worried how funding a genocide and all the other horrible shit will cost him the election.

        He also seems worried failing to find a genocide will cost him the election.

        • go_go_gadget@lemmy.world
          11·
          10 months ago

          How about stopping support for Israel and then screaming “vote blue no matter who” whenever someone gets angry about it. That’s a good way to win votes right?

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      161·
      10 months ago

      They should be stopped until Israel lets unlimited aid through; allows evacuation through it’s lines; and goes one week without shooting someone with a white flag, on camera.

      Or they could just leave Gaza and stop the blockade.

    • gastationsushi@lemmy.world
      175·
      10 months ago

      He should but don’t get your hopes up. Biden is a true believer. True believers don’t up and stop true believing one day, someone or something has to make them stop. Who’s stopping the president of the united states?