The Biden administration last night (Tuesday) asked Israel to sign by mid-March a letter of commitment according to which it will not use American weapons in a way that violates international law and will allow the introduction of humanitarian aid to Gaza, so they told Walla!
Three senior Israeli and American officials.
The requirement: a "reliable and reliable" commitment.
IDF fighter in the Gaza Strip/IDF spokesman
why is it important:
The requirement to receive such a written commitment is part of a new policy announced by President Biden in early February.
Although the new policy is not focused only on Israel, it was published following pressure exerted by American senators who expressed concern about Israel's use of American weapons in the war in Gaza.
According to the new policy - if Israel does not provide a "reliable and reliable" written commitment by the set deadline - American arms shipments will be suspended.
In the news center:
The request to receive the letter of commitment is the result of a new national security memorandum published by the White House that deals with the responsibility of countries that use American weapons.
The memorandum published on February 8, concerns every country in the world that uses American weapons, but is relevant these days mainly to Israel against the background of the war in Gaza.
According to the new American policy, before supplying American weapons to a certain country, that country must provide the United States with a "written, credible and reliable undertaking" that it will not use these weapons in a way that would violate international law.
The new policy states that countries that use American weapons in combat zones must also provide a written commitment that they will "allow and not arbitrarily block directly or indirectly" the transfer of American humanitarian aid or humanitarian aid that receives American support.
The new memorandum states that if this written commitment is not delivered to the American government within 45 days of its publication - that is, until the last week of March - American arms shipments to that country will be suspended.
The new White House policy was published following pressure from Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen who wanted to add a new section with this wording to the law that dealt with the military aid package to Israel and Ukraine.
Senior US officials said that Senate Democratic Majority Leader Senator Chuck Schumer told the White House that he was concerned that a vote on the new clause would split the Senate's Democratic faction and asked that the administration find a replacement that would not require legislation.
"I and the other senators who supported the new clause made it clear to Senator Schumer that we are determined to bring it to a vote if we are unable to implement this policy in other ways through executive branch action. Our pressure and the fact that the commitment we are seeking regarding the supply of weapons makes sense has resulted in the US administration working with us on this issue ", Val Holen said to Walla!.
Van Hollen noted that in mid-January he had a conversation on the subject with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and seven more rounds of negotiations with other senior White House officials until the new policy memorandum was drawn up, which was kept secret until its publication earlier this month.
"We did this to ensure that the supply of American weapons is consistent with both our values and our interests," Van Hollen said.
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"To ensure that the supply of American weapons is also consistent with our values."
IDF forces in the Gaza Strip/IDF spokesman
Behind the Scenes:
Senior officials in the American administration held talks last night with their Israeli counterparts in the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Defense and the Israeli Embassy in Washington, they were officially informed about the new policy and handed them the draft letter of commitment that Israel needs to sign, so senior American officials said.
A senior Israeli official said that the Americans requested that Israel provide the signed letter of commitment by mid-March.
According to him, Israel will now have to decide which official in the government will sign the letter.
Similar talks have been held in recent days by senior American officials with several dozen other countries around the world that receive American security assistance.
Weapon shipments are at risk of being delayed.
IDF fighter in the Gaza Strip/IDF spokesman
What they say:
"A senior official at the US State Department told Walla!: "We continue to implement Secretary of National Security number 20, and are holding discussions with our security partners around the world."
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