US Sells 50 F-15 Eagle Fighter Jets to Israel

By Jim Morris, Warrior Vice President, News

A big roadblock has been lifted in the largest US weapons sale to Israel in years.

Two key Democrats – Rep. Gregory Meeks and Sen. Ben Cardin – have given their approval for the sale of 50 F-15 fighter jets, a deal valued at roughly $18 billion. Word of the agreement comes two weeks after an Israeli delegation signed a letter of agreement to buy 25 F-35 fighters from Lockheed Martin.

Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, had held up the F-15 sale because of his unhappiness over the way Israel has been fighting in Gaza. He had demanded that the Biden administration show him that Israel had given assurances it would no longer engage in what he called the indiscriminate bombing of Palestinians.

But on Monday, Meeks relented. In a statement, he noted that he supports Israel’s “right to defend itself against the real threats posed by Iran and Hezbollah.”

Cardin, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had never publicly come out against the deal – but he delayed giving it his approval. A spokesman now says he backs it after the sale went through a review process.

Warrior Talks to Mr. Young Bang, Principal Deputy, Assistant Secretary of the Army – Acquisition Logistics & Technology