US Jewish group opposes £18 billion in arms sales to UAE
J Street urged US Senators to block the deal in a congressional vote later this week, despite Donald Trump describing the sale as good for Israel.
A major Jewish group in the US has said it opposes the Trump administration’s plan to sell £18 billion of weapons to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the coming weeks.
J Street, which supported Joe Biden’s successful Democratic presidential bid, urged US Senators to block the deal in a congressional vote later this week, despite Donald Trump describing the sale as good for Israel.
“The sale of a massive quantity of such destructive weapons systems to the UAE would only further fuel an escalating arms race in a region already suffering from destabilising wars that endanger civilians and undermine US interests,” it said.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a passionate advocate for Israel, has already said he would oppose it, suggesting that all 48 Democrats would do likewise, but Republicans have a slim majority.
Critics of the arms sale say it gives highly sophisticated technology the UAE does not presently possess, including the F-35 fighter plane and armed drones, potentially to be used in military conflicts such as Yemen and Libya.
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