Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said Wednesday that the United States should reexamine its relationship with Israel, including weapons systems and technology the two countries develop jointly, as well as the broader flow of American arms to the Israeli military.
Speaking on Bloomberg’s “Balance of Power,” Coons said, “we should have a re-examination of our relationship” and that “part of our re-examination needs to be looking at what weapons systems we’re developing jointly, what technology we’re developing jointly.”
Co-host Kailey Leinz pressed Coons on whether, if he becomes chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the next Congress, he would consider restricting arms provided to Israel absent a peace settlement in Gaza and ongoing military action elsewhere, including Lebanon.
“Look, Prime Minister Netanyahu himself has suggested that, as we negotiate the next MOU between the United States and Israel, we should seriously consider ending the direct donation to Israel of American military aid. We sell weapons, sophisticated, advanced weapons, to dozens and dozens of countries. Israel is and will remain our ally. And I think — I’ll stand by what I said, we should have a re-examination of our relationship,” Coons said.
Coons noted that some of the missile defense systems credited with protecting Israel from Iranian attacks were jointly developed by the U.S. and Israel, which he said carries real benefit for Americans as well.
He went on to address the 2,000-pound bombs that have drawn scrutiny during the war in Gaza. “These 2,000-pound bombs have overwhelmingly been used on civilian targets in the war against Hamas in Gaza,” Coons said, adding that this was “partly the cause for the pause by the Biden administration on their transfer.” He said he believed the Trump administration’s notification on the matter was “broader than just that transfer.”
Coons said the Senate has been fighting over the issue for the past year. “We have hotly debated in the Senate over the last year, things from purely civilian items, but with military applications, like bulldozers, and things with purely military applications, like the bombs you’re referencing. I think all of that has to be reconsidered and debated,” he said.
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