We are talking about 20,000 rifles

The Biden administration is postponing the sale of more than 20,000 American-made assault rifles to Israel over concerns about Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

This was reported by Reuters.

The State Department sent an informal notice of the sale to Congress several weeks ago. But the sale never took place, despite the fact that in early November the leaders of the Senate and House Foreign Affairs Committees approved it.

Upon learning about the potential sale, other members of Congress requested that the administration secure assurances from Israel to prevent the weapons from being acquired by settlers", said a former U.S. official familiar with the sale.

"The administration worked with Israel to try to get satisfactory assurances on this before officially announcing it. According to the draft license, these firearms could also go to Israeli police units, for which the Department has significant human rights concerns," the former official said.

After the 1967 Middle East war, Israel occupied the West Bank, which Palestinians consider the basis of an independent state. It has built Jewish settlements there that most countries consider illegal. Israel denies this and cites historical and biblical ties to the land.

The Biden administration is particularly concerned that some of these weapons could end up in the hands of Israeli settlers, according to two sources familiar with the sale. President Joe Biden and other senior U.S. officials have repeatedly urged Israel to take measures against settler violence targeting Palestinians in the West Bank.

Violence has escalated to its highest level in over 15 years. The increase in violence followed Israel's military response to an attack by Hamas on October 7, which was one of the deadliest days in Israeli history.

Last week, the administration began to impose visa bans on people it said were involved in the violence.

Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, controls the Israeli police. The Times of Israel newspaper reported in November that his ministry had placed "great emphasis on arming civilian security forces" after the events of October 7.

In his speech on Wednesday, Biden, mentioning Ben-Gvir, said that he and his allies want "retribution" for all Palestinians.