We know very little about how American weapons are used once they reach the Israeli military. Are they used in Gaza, and how? Are they flowing to the West Bank? Is there a possibility that they reach battalions that the United States is considering sanctioning because of alleged human rights violations?
When the Biden administration ships arms to Ukraine, it pulls out the megaphones. It announces its shipments and hails its own efforts “to support the brave Ukrainian people as they defend their country,” as Secretary of State Antony Blinken put it last month. The White House emphasizes transparency about aid provided to Ukraine, saying it wants to be clear how “that money has been spent.”
It’s a different story when the destination is Israel. A few details leak in the American or Israeli press, but overall, when sending arms to the Israel Defense Forces, the Biden administration seems to prefer the sound of silence.
Transparency about arms transfers takes on special significance now that President Biden has signed a landmark $95 billion foreign aid package, approved after long delays in the House of Representatives. That package will pay for billions of dollars of arms flowing to Ukraine, Israel and other nations. As soon as the bill became law, the administration issued new announcements about weapons shipments to Ukraine, but not about transfers to Israel.
“I think the administration makes sure that the word gets out to the pro-Israel community that these things have been transferred but doesn’t want to inflame the not pro-Israel community,” said Daniel C. Kurtzer, a former American ambassador to Israel and Egypt. “The word gets out anyway, but it’s not a headline.”
Transparency is the lifeblood of democracies. For the same reason that the White House takes care to explain how taxpayer dollars are spent on military support for Ukraine, the administration owes it to Americans to be forthcoming about weapons flown to Israel, even if it finds disclosure to be politically uncomfortable.
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If transparency is vital for democracy, how do you reconcile the U.S.'s handling of arms shipments to Ukraine differently from those to Israel with democratic ideals?
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How does the secrecy surrounding U.S. arms transfers to Israel impact your views on the ethical responsibilities of international support?
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Considering potential human rights violations, should the U.S. be more transparent about where and how its weapons are used by other nations?
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Why do you think the U.S. chooses to publicize support for Ukraine but not for Israel, and how does that align with your values on freedom of information?
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How does the difference in transparency between U.S. arms shipments to Ukraine and Israel affect your trust in government decisions?
