Trump Rebuked for Bypassing Congress With $8.6 Billion Weapons Sale to Israel and Gulf Allies

Key Points:

• The US State Department quietly approved an $8.6 billion weapons deal with Middle Eastern allies, including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait, bypassing standard congressional review through an emergency provision.
• The deal includes the sale of Patriot missile interceptors to Qatar, laser-guided rockets to Israel, the UAE, and Qatar, and an advanced air-defense system to Kuwait, with Qatar paying over $4 billion for the missile interceptors.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio expedited the arms sales under emergency authorization, marking the third time the Trump administration has bypassed Congress on arms deals during the ongoing conflict with Iran.
• The move has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers and human rights advocates, including Kenneth Roth, who highlighted concerns over the UAE's continued support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan, accused of committing atrocities in the civil war.
• Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei expressed cynicism on social media, suggesting the arms sales benefit the Israeli-American arms industry amid the war, reflecting broader public discontent with US involvement in the Middle East conflict.