US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announces emergency military assistance to Israel, reversing Biden-era restrictions and reaffirming Trump’s commitment to Israel’s security.
Washington DC [US], March 2 – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday announced a major boost in military assistance to Israel, expediting the delivery of $4 billion in aid and overturning the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo.
In a significant shift in US-Israel relations, Rubio emphasized that President Trump’s administration remains Israel’s strongest ally, pledging continued support for its security and defense needs.
“I have signed a declaration to use emergency authorities to expedite the delivery of approximately $4 billion in military assistance to Israel. The decision to reverse the Biden Administration’s partial arms embargo, which wrongly withheld a number of weapons and ammunition from Israel, is yet another sign that Israel has no greater ally in the White House than President Trump,” Rubio stated.
Trump Administration Reaffirms Commitment to Israel’s Security
Since taking office, the Trump Administration has approved nearly $12 billion in major Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Israel, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to bolstering Israel’s defense capabilities.
Rubio highlighted that this latest decision coincides with Trump’s repeal of a Biden-era memorandum that imposed conditions on military assistance to Israel.
“This important decision coincides with President Trump’s repeal of a Biden-era memorandum, which had imposed baseless and politicized conditions on military assistance to Israel at a time when our close ally was fighting a war of survival on multiple fronts against Iran and terror proxies,” said Rubio.
Reversing Biden’s Arms Embargo
Biden had previously denied withholding military aid to Israel, aside from a single batch of 2,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs. However, Trump reversed this hold, ensuring the delivery of critical military assets last month, according to The Times of Israel.
The now-revoked National Security Memorandum 20, signed by Biden, required recipients of US arms to commit in writing that they would not use them to target civilians or restrict humanitarian aid—a policy that faced opposition from pro-Israel lawmakers and the Trump administration.
Looking Ahead: Continued US Support for Israel
With tensions in the Middle East escalating, Rubio reaffirmed that the Trump Administration will continue leveraging all available tools to support Israel’s defense efforts.
“The Trump Administration will continue to use all available tools to fulfill America’s long-standing commitment to Israel’s security, including means to counter security threats,” he stated.
As geopolitical tensions persist, the US-Israel alliance remains central to Washington’s foreign policy, with Trump positioning his administration as a steadfast supporter of Israel’s military strength.