Israel’s weapons industry continues to thrive despite growing international criticism over its war in Gaza. With key allies like the UK, Canada, and Australia recognizing Palestine, is Israel facing global isolation? Prime Minister Netanyahu warns of long-term consequences as nations reevaluate arms deals and political ties. Here's what this means for Israel's defense economy and international standing.

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Gravitas: Shares of defence companies soar amidst Ukraine war

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden's administration has told Congress it is proceeding with more than $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including advanced F-35 aircraft, armed drones and other equipment, congressional aides said on Tuesday.

A State Department spokesperson said the administration would move forward with the proposed sales to the&nbsp;UAE, "even as we continue reviewing details and consulting with Emirati officials" related to the use of the weapons.

The Democratic president's administration had paused the deals agreed to by former Republican President Donald Trump in order to review them. The sales to the Gulf nation were finalised right before Trump left office.

The Trump administration told Congress in November it had approved the U.S. sale to the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;as a side deal to the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered agreement in September in which the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;agreed to normalise relations with Israel.

In the last months of the Trump administration, Israel reached deals with the&nbsp;UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco as part of the accords.

The $23.37 billion package contained products from General Atomics, Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Technologies Corp, including 50 F-35 Lighting II aircraft, up to 18 MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial Systems and a package of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions.

YEMEN CONFLICT

Some US&nbsp;lawmakers have criticised the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;for its involvement in the war in Yemen, a conflict considered one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, and worried that the weapons transfers might violate US&nbsp;guarantees that Israel will retain a military advantage in the region.

Israel said it did not object to the sales.

A legislative effort to stop the sales failed in December, as Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress backed his plans.

The Trump administration then finalised the massive sale to the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;on Jan. 20, about an hour before Biden was sworn in as president.

The Biden administration announced the review in late January and the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;said then it had anticipated the review and welcomed joint efforts to de-escalate tensions and for renewed regional dialogue.

The State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday the estimated delivery dates on the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;sales, if implemented, were for after 2025 or later.

The government anticipated "a robust and sustained dialogue with the&nbsp;UAE" to ensure a stronger security partnership, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

"We will also continue to reinforce with the&nbsp;UAE&nbsp;and all recipients of US&nbsp;defence articles and services that US-origin defence equipment must be adequately secured and used in a manner that respects human rights and fully complies with the laws of armed conflict," the statement said.

US President Joe Biden's administration has told Congress it is proceeding with more than $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including advanced F-35 aircraft, armed drones and other equipment, congressional aides said on Tuesday.

US President Joe Biden's administration has told Congress it is proceeding with more than $23 billion in weapons sales to the United Arab Emirates, including advanced F-35 aircraft, armed drones and other equipment, congressional aides said on Tuesday. A State Department spokesperson said the administration would move forward with the proposed sales to the UAE, "even as we continue reviewing details and consulting with Emirati officials" related to the use of the weapons. The Democratic president's administration had paused the deals agreed to by former Republican President Donald Trump in order to review them. The sales to the Gulf nation were finalised right before Trump left office. The Trump administration told Congress in November it had approved the U.S. sale to the UAE as a side deal to the Abraham Accords, a US-brokered agreement in September in which the UAE agreed to normalise relations with Israel. In the last months of the Trump administration, Israel reached deals with the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco as part of the accords. The $23.37 billion package contained products from General Atomics, Lockheed Martin Corp and Raytheon Technologies Corp, including 50 F-35 Lighting II aircraft, up to 18 MQ-9B Unmanned Aerial Systems and a package of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. YEMEN CONFLICT Some US lawmakers have criticised the UAE for its involvement in the war in Yemen, a conflict considered one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters, and worried that the weapons transfers might violate US guarantees that Israel will retain a military advantage in the region. Israel said it did not object to the sales. A legislative effort to stop the sales failed in December, as Trump's fellow Republicans in Congress backed his plans. The Trump administration then finalised the massive sale to the UAE on Jan. 20, about an hour before Biden was sworn in as president. The Biden administration announced the review in late January and the UAE said then it had anticipated the review and welcomed joint efforts to de-escalate tensions and for renewed regional dialogue. The State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday the estimated delivery dates on the UAE sales, if implemented, were for after 2025 or later. The government anticipated "a robust and sustained dialogue with the UAE" to ensure a stronger security partnership, the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. "We will also continue to reinforce with the UAE and all recipients of US defence articles and services that US-origin defence equipment must be adequately secured and used in a manner that respects human rights and fully complies with the laws of armed conflict," the statement said.

Biden administration to proceed with $23 billion weapon sales to UAE

US Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump`s plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was "unfortunate" the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey last year.&nbsp;

The Trump administration is pressing Riyadh to show "tangible progress" toward holding to account those behind Khashoggi`s killing, a senior administration official said on Tuesday.

The ranking Republican on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing on Wednesday that he supports "the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran," but "the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate."

Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration`s move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia`s human rights abuses.&nbsp;

Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review major weapons sales.&nbsp;

Strains between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent weeks, a year after Trump, a Republican, abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Trump’s administration announced that it was sending 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East, which it described as an effort to bolster defences against what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran.

Iran has warned against any military aggression.&nbsp;

"Iran will never initiate a war but will give a crushing response to any aggression," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday.

In a memorandum justifying the emergency declaration, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad."

Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phony.

Defending the administration`s position at Wednesday`s hearing, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper said: "This is an emergency, this is a one time event."

However, Cooper later said a "one time event is conditions based," and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons.&nbsp;

Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday`s hearing. "Anything that`s what`s called `off then shelf` then it`s already moving" to customers, Cooper said.

But Cooper said "there was nothing new in these 22 sales," indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications.

US Senators have drafted 22 "resolutions of disapproval." The resolutions are intended to "protect and reaffirm Congress` role of approving arms sales to foreign governments."&nbsp;

Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp. 
&nbsp;

US Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump`s plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was "unfortunate" the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review.

US Republican members of Congress pushed back on Wednesday against President Donald Trump`s plan to sell $8 billion in weapons to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, saying it was "unfortunate" the administration used an emergency declaration to avoid Congressional review. Members of Congress had been blocking sales of military equipment to Saudi Arabia and the UAE for months, angry about the deaths of civilians in their air campaign in Yemen, as well as human rights abuses such as the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi at a Saudi consulate in Turkey last year. The Trump administration is pressing Riyadh to show "tangible progress" toward holding to account those behind Khashoggi`s killing, a senior administration official said on Tuesday. The ranking Republican on the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committee, Michael McCaul, said at a hearing on Wednesday that he supports "the efforts of Saudi Arabia to defend themselves against Iran," but "the recent use of this emergency authority, in my judgment, was unfortunate." Another Republican, Representative Ann Wagner, asked for a better understanding of the administration`s move to sidestep congressional oversight given Saudi Arabia`s human rights abuses. Citing an Iran-related emergency, the Trump administration told congressional committees on May 24 that it would go ahead with 22 military deals worth $8.1 billion to Saudi Arabia, UAE and Jordan, circumventing a long-standing precedent for lawmakers to review major weapons sales. Strains between Washington and Tehran have increased in recent weeks, a year after Trump, a Republican, abandoned a 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and world powers to curb Tehran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Trump’s administration announced that it was sending 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East, which it described as an effort to bolster defences against what it sees as a threat of potential attack by Iran. Iran has warned against any military aggression. "Iran will never initiate a war but will give a crushing response to any aggression," Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Wednesday. In a memorandum justifying the emergency declaration, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "Iranian malign activity poses a fundamental threat to the stability of the Middle East and to American security at home and abroad." Democrats on the committee called the emergency declaration phony. Defending the administration`s position at Wednesday`s hearing, assistant secretary of state for Political-military affairs Clarke Cooper said: "This is an emergency, this is a one time event." However, Cooper later said a "one time event is conditions based," and that this was the fifth time in history that such an emergency was used to push through the sale of weapons. Cooper said that some of the weapons have already been sent to the customer since the emergency declaration and before Wednesday`s hearing. "Anything that`s what`s called `off then shelf` then it`s already moving" to customers, Cooper said. But Cooper said "there was nothing new in these 22 sales," indicating that the packages had been previously notified to Congress, but did not progress through the established channels for weapons sales notifications. US Senators have drafted 22 "resolutions of disapproval." The resolutions are intended to "protect and reaffirm Congress` role of approving arms sales to foreign governments." Companies that would benefit include Raytheon Co precision-guided munitions (PGMs), support for Boeing Co F-15 aircraft, and Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are made by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Corp.

Republicans in US Congress push back on Trump weapons packages to Saudi Arabia, UAE

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