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May 25, 2001/Sivan 3, 5761, Vol. 53, No.34
U.S. mum on Israel's use of weapons
MATTHEW E. BERGER
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration is staying relatively quiet about Israel's use of American-made weapons in attacks against the Palestinians, despite demands by Arab American groups to investigate the practice.
Israel purchases much of its weaponry from the United States.
According to U.S. law, foreign governments are allowed to use U.S. weapons only for defensive actions or internal security.
Israel used American-made F-16s on May 18 to attack Palestinian paramilitary installations in retaliation for a suicide bombing earlier in the day in Netanya.
Arab American groups have been pushing the government to review Israel's use of American-made weapons. Arab American Institute President James Zogby said the State Department has assured him that the matter is under review, and is pressing officials to expedite it.
"It's an outrageous acceleration," Zogby said. "It makes the United States appear implicated because we are supplying the technology, we are supplying the weaponry."
Arab sources say Congress may take action on the matter, but lawmakers are waiting for the State Department report before planning their next move. The administration will not say whether the matter is under formal review.
Israel - backed by allies in Washington - says the attack on security stations in the West Bank was defensive, and therefore permissible under guidelines for using U.S.-made weapons.
"The operation was a counterterrorism operation. Counterterrorism is by definition defensive," said Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli Embassy. "If there weren't Palestinian attacks against Israel, we would not have been forced to respond."
A senior military analyst on Capitol Hill said the United States has "bent over backwards" not to restrict Israel's use of American weapons. He said Israel is following the letter of the law in meeting both the self-defense and internal security standards.
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