Key House Democrat refuses to clear $2.8 billion bomb sale to Israel

While individual congressional committee members do not have unilateral power to prevent an arms sale, they are able to place a “hold” on a transaction in order to acquire more information. 

By Sharon Udasin, JTA

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, is obstructing a Trump administration proposal for a $2.8 billion bomb sale to Israel.

Meeks, a longtime supporter of Israel from New York, said he would not clear the transaction due to concerns that these 2,000-pound munitions would not be used in accordance with U.S. and international law.

Despite his concerns, Meeks said in a statement that he remains “firmly committed to Israel’s security and its ability to defend itself against serious regional threats.”

The 15-term congressman, known for his pragmatic and moderate stances, voiced concern about the potential sale of 40,000 of these bombs, which he described as “some of the most destructive munitions in our arsenal.”

The proposal, he added, raised questions “about how these munitions could be used in densely populated areas of Gaza and Lebanon.”

Israel has said its use of American munitions is always in compliance with U.S. and other relevant laws.

If Democrats are able to retake the House majority in November, Meeks would then become the chairman of the committee in January.

More than two years ago, in April 2024, Meeks announced that he would block the sale of F-15 fighter jets to Israel if he did not receive “assurances” as to the intended purposes of these jets.

At the time, he told CNN that he had “enough of the indiscriminate bombing” and wanted to prevent Israel from utilizing weapons to create more deaths.

Meeks has longstanding ties to the pro-Israel community.

In 2020, when he was one of three Democrats on the committee seeking its chairmanship, he met with pro-Israel groups to get what was then their critical endorsement.

The U.S.-Israel relationship has soured in recent years, especially over Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war, and more recently Meeks has criticized the country’s leadership.

In February, Meeks slammed the decisions of Netanyahu and his Security Cabinet to expand Israel’s control over Judaea and Samaria.

“These actions deliberately and potentially irreversibly erode the possibility of a negotiated two-state solution,” he said in a statement, referring to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

While individual congressional committee members do not have unilateral power to prevent an arms sale, they are able to place a “hold” on a transaction in order to acquire more information.

“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,” Meeks said on Wednesday.

This decision, he explained, does not weaken Congressional backing “for Israel’s legitimate defense needs.”

“It reflects Congress’s responsibility to ensure that U.S.-funded weapons are used lawfully, responsibly, and with meaningful safeguards for human life,” Meeks added.