Trump administration revokes memo preventing US weapons transfers that violate human rights laws News
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Trump administration revokes memo preventing US weapons transfers that violate human rights laws

The Trump administration on Monday repealed a Biden-era memorandum aimed at preventing US weapons transfers to countries that use the weapons to violate both international and human rights laws.

While the order has not yet been made public, US Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) said in an official statement:

President Trump’s decision to revoke this important policy is shameful. It’s a disservice to our national security, to global human rights, and to our standing around the world. This move also undermines American taxpayers’ right to ensure the use of their dollars aligns with our laws and our national interest. It’s another clear example of Trump’s blatant indifference to American values. This is not America first – it’s America in retreat.

The former Biden administration issued the 2024 memorandum in response to Israel’s use of US-provided weapons against the Palestinian people of Gaza, enabling what many human rights groups have called a genocide. The memorandum required both the US Secretary of State and the Department of Defense to provide Congress with routine “credible and reliable” reports from military aid recipient countries. More specifically, the memorandum ordered recipient countries to allow for the transfer of US humanitarian aid to any country in need. The memorandum also forbade recipient countries from restricting, denying, or impeding access to US humanitarian assistance. Shortly after issuing the memorandum, the Biden administration concluded in one of its required reports that Israel had likely used US-supplied weapons “inconsistent with its [international humanitarian law] obligations.” However, it stated that the evidence was still inconclusive and that the US would continue to provide Israel with weapons.

Since 2023, the US has disbursed $3.3 billion in military financing to Israel and is set to provide another $3.3 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. Israel currently receives the most military financial aid of any country, followed by Egypt at $1.5 billion. Many US-based human rights groups have criticized the US government over the years for what it considers to be disproportionate military spending. Rights groups continue to push for an end to “astronomical” amounts spent on military-related projects at the expense of improving ongoing human rights issues that continue to plague the US, such as poverty, punitive court systems, healthcare, racism, reproductive, and disability rights.

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