US Speeds Up IDR 65 Trillion Military Aid To Israel

Israeli military illustration. (doc Israel Defense Forces (IDF))

JAKARTA - United States (US) Foreign Minister Marco Rubio said the US was accelerating the delivery of military aid worth US$4 billion or around Rp65 trillion to Israel.

"I have signed a declaration to use emergency authorities to speed up the delivery of about $4 billion in military aid to Israel," Rubio said in a statement, Saturday, March 1 local time.

"The decision to cancel the Biden Government's partial arms embargo, which mistakenly detained a number of weapons and ammunition from Israel, is another sign that Israel has no greater ally in the White House than President Trump," he added.

His remarks came one day after the US State Department said it approved a potential sale of foreign military to Israel worth $3 billion, which includes ammunition, guidance equipment, and a Caterpillar D9 bulldozer.

In a statement on Friday (28/2), the agency stated that Rubio set an "emergency situation", requiring immediate sale to Israel, ignoring the terms of a congressional review.

Rubio said that since Trump took office in late January, his government has approved nearly $12 billion in large foreign military sales to Israel.

Rubio said in a statement on Saturday that the important decision coincided with President Trump's lifting of Biden's era memorandum.

The US Secretary of State said the memorandum had imposed baseless requirements and military aid to Israel was politicized when the US close ally was at war to survive on various terrains against Iran and terrorist proxies.

"The Trump administration will continue to use all available tools to meet America's long-term commitment to Israel's security, including ways to counter security threats," he added.

The US has faced many criticisms for supporting Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip amid widespread reports of violations of international law and the US.