WarSclerotic

U.S. halts missile transfer requested by Israel

Wall Street Journal reports supply of Hellfire missiles canceled, U.S. officials demanding to review Israeli requests on individual basis.

By Barak Ravid | Aug. 14, 2014 | 8:54 AM

via U.S. halts missile transfer requested by Israel – Diplomacy and Defense Israel News | Haaretz.

The White House has instructed the Pentagon and the U.S. military to put on hold a transfer of Hellfire missiles that Israel had requested during its recent operation in the Gaza Strip, the Wall Street Journal reports.

According to the report, during Israel’s Operation Protective Edge, White House officials were dismayed to discover how little influence they wield over the topic of Israeli arms replenishment, against the backdrop of the U.S. government’s unhappiness with the widespread damage inflicted upon Palestinian civilians.

Officials in the White House and the State Department are now demanding to review every Israeli request for American arms individually, rather than let them move relatively unchecked through a direct military-to-military channel, a fact that slows down the process.

“The allegations are unfounded,” Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer was quoted as saying by the WSJ, in response to the Wall Street Journal’s description of a significant “fraying of relations” between the two nations’ leaders. “Israel deeply appreciates the support we have received during the recent conflict in Gaza from both the Obama administration and the Congress for Israel’s right to defend itself and for increased funding of Iron Dome.”

This entry was posted on August 14, 2014 at 8:43 AM and is filed under Uncategorized. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: Gaza war, IDF, Israel, Operation Protective Edge, USA