War in Gaza Strip Turns Spotlight on Long Pipeline of U.S. Weapons to Israel

加萨战争让世人注意到美长期军援以色列

In the fall of 2016, the Obama administration sealed a major military agreement with Israel that committed the United States to giving the country $38 billion in arms over 10 years.

在2016年秋季，美国欧巴马政府和以色列达成一项重大军事协定，承诺美国在10年内提供以色列价值380亿美元武器。

“The continued supply of the world’s most advanced weapons technology will ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself from all manner of threats,” President Barack Obama said.

欧巴马当时表示：「持续供应世界最精良的武器科技，将确保以国有能力抵御各种威胁。」

At the time, the agreement was uncontroversial. It was a period of relative calm for Israel, and few officials in Washington expressed concern about how the U.S. arms might one day be used.

当时，这份协议没有争议。对以国而言，这段时期相对平静，很少有华府官员对这些美制武器有朝一日会如何使用表达忧心。

Now, that military aid package, which guarantees Israel $3.3 billion per year to buy weapons, along with an additional $500 million annually for missile defense, has become a flashpoint for the Biden administration. A vocal minority of lawmakers in Congress backed by liberal activists are demanding that President Joe Biden restrict or even halt arms shipments to Israel because of its military campaign in the Gaza Strip.

这套军援计划每年保证援助以国33亿美元购买武器，并额外提供500万美元用于飞弹防御，如今已成为拜登政府的引爆点。由于以国在加萨走廊进行的军事行动，自由派维权人士支持的少数国会议员，要求拜登限制甚或停止向以国运送武器。

Biden has been sharply critical of what he on one occasion called “indiscriminate bombing” in Israel’s war campaign, but he has resisted placing limits on U.S. military aid.

拜登一直严厉批评以国的战争行动，还一度称之为「恣意轰炸」，但拒绝对美国军援设限。

The United States and Israel have had tight military relations for decades, stretching across multiple Democratic and Republican administrations. Israel has purchased much of its critical equipment from the United States, including fighter jets, helicopters, air defense missiles, and both unguided and guided bombs, which have been dropped in Gaza. Legislation mandates that the U.S. government help Israel maintain force superiority — or its “qualitative military edge” — over other Middle Eastern nations.

美国历届民主党和共和党政府，数十年来一直与以国保持密切军事关系。以国向美国采购许多重要装备，包括战机、直升机和防空飞弹，以及在加萨投下的非导引和导引炸弹。法律强制要求美国政府帮助以国保持相对于其他中东国家的武力优势，或者「军事品质优势」。

The process of arms delivery to Israel is opaque, and the pipeline for weapons to the country is long. The United States has sent tens of thousands of weapons to the country since the Oct. 7 killings by Hamas attackers, but many were approved by Congress and the State Department long ago and funded with money mandated by the Obama-era agreement.

向以国运送武器的过程不透明，且路线很长。去年10月7日「哈玛斯」袭击者进行杀戮以来，美国向以国运送数以万计武器，其中许多是美国国会和国务院很久以前就批准，并以欧巴马时代协议规定的资金资助。

Biden has the power to limit any foreign arms deliveries, even ones previously approved by Congress. Far from cutting off Israel, however, he is pushing a request he made shortly after the Oct. 7 attacks for $14 billion in additional arms aid to the country and U.S. military operations in the Middle East. The money has been stalled in Congress amid disputes over Ukraine aid and U.S. border security and faces growing Democratic concern.

拜登有权力限制任何对外武器交付，即使先前已获国会批准。然而，拜登非但没有断供以国武器，还正推动他在10月7日袭击后不久就提出的要求，额外提供140亿美元武器援助给以色列以及美国在中东地区的军事行动。由于关于援助乌克兰和美国边境安全相关争论，且面临民主党人日益增加的担忧，这笔资金一直在国会被搁置。

文／Michael Crowley and Edward Wong　译／罗方妤