The four sales to Israel, including tactical vehicles and helicopters, were a violation of congressional norms, a senior Democratic official said, adding that Trump refuses to ‘engage Congress on critical questions about the next steps in Gaza’
by Ben Samuels, reposted from Ha’aretz, January 31, 2026
The U.S. approved four arms sales to Israel worth a total of around $6 billion, the Pentagon said on Friday, sparking backlash over what a top House Democrat called an improper vetting process.
The sales included Namer Armored Personnel Carrier power packs valued at up to $740 million, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles valued at up to $1.98 billion, AH-64E Apache Helicopters valued at up to $3.8 billion and AW119Kx Light Utility Helicopters valued at up to $150 million.
House Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks, the ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, described the move as shameful for “bypassing the Congressional Committee review process,” and as “repudiation by Donald Trump of Congress’ constitutional oversight role.”
“Just one hour ago, the Trump administration informed me it would disregard congressional oversight and years of standing practice, and immediately notify over $6 billion in arms sales to Israel,” the representative wrote, noting the administration did not send officials to even a single policy briefing.
“Shamefully, this is now the second time the Trump administration has blatantly ignored long-standing Congressional prerogatives while also refusing to engage Congress on critical questions about the next steps in Gaza and broader U.S. policy,” he wrote.
“In the U.S., we do not have kings – we are a democracy rooted in the Constitution,” the statement read. “I am disappointed by my Republican colleagues’ silence as these foundational checks and balances are ignored.”
The State Department traditionally waits for approval from the top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate foreign relations committees before announcing the sale – a process known as informal review – though the Trump administration has repeatedly made clear that it will advance weapons sales without considering Congress’ input.
Also on Friday, the State Department approved the potential sale of Patriot interceptor missiles and related equipment to Saudi Arabia for an estimated cost of $9 billion. The principal contractor for the sale of the missiles – Patriot advanced capability-3 missile segment enhancement missiles (PAC-3 MSE) – will be Lockheed Martin Corp, the Pentagon said in a statement.
The State Department approval follows a request by Saudi Arabia to buy 730 PAC-3 MSE missiles, the Pentagon said, adding that the proposed sale will not alter the military balance in the Middle East and it will not result in any adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu triggered debate and backlash over statements on the Israel-U.S. arms relationship this month. This week, he said that Israeli soldiers were killed in Gaza as a result of arms embargoes lifted when President Donald Trump took office. Senior officials in the Biden administration criticized the statement.
Netanyahu said in early January that Israel would phase out U.S. military assistance in the next 10 years.
Due to the war, in the past two years, the United States has spent a total of roughly $32 billion to assist Israel. In the first year, under U.S. President Joe Biden, emergency support accounted for about $23 billion, covering an estimated 70% of Israel’s war-related military spending. In the second year, mostly under President Trump, aid totaled $3.8 billion, the annual amount pledged under the agreement.
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