General Charles Q. Brown, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, disclosed on Thursday that Israel hasn’t received all the military assistance it requested due to capacity limitations and potential impacts on U.S. military readiness.
Despite the U.S. allocating $3.8 billion annually in military aid to Israel, Brown mentioned constraints in fulfilling every request from Israel. He emphasized that the U.S. had been providing support, particularly air defenses and munitions, amidst heightened tensions in the region.
This revelation comes amid criticism of the Biden administration‘s unwavering support for Israel from some Democrats and Arab American groups, who argue it fosters a sense of impunity.
Brown clarified that the inability to fulfill all requests was due to logistical reasons, stating that some items requested by Israel were either beyond the U.S. capacity to provide or not suitable at the moment. His comments were contextualized as standard practice before delivering military aid to any ally.
A spokesperson for Brown affirmed that the U.S. policy of providing security assistance to Israel remained unchanged and emphasized a continuous assessment of stockpiles and readiness impacts.
The disclosure follows recent escalations in violence between Israel and Palestine, with over 32,000 Palestinians reportedly killed in Gaza.
Israel’s offensive, prompted by attacks from Hamas, led to significant casualties and drew opposition within Biden’s Democratic Party.
Despite these tensions, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin engaged in discussions with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding security assistance. Brown highlighted ongoing dialogue between the U.S. and Israel, reinforcing the commitment to maintaining security cooperation.
