紐時賞析／美政府已軍援以色列多年 加薩戰爭成爭議引爆點

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

加薩戰爭讓世人注意到美長期軍援以色列

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，美國歐巴馬政府和以色列達成一項重大軍事協定，承諾美國在10年內提供以色列價值380億美元武器。

“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.

歐巴馬當時表示：「持續供應世界最精良的武器科技，將確保以國有能力抵禦各種威脅。」

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.

當時，這份協議沒有爭議。對以國而言，這段時期相對平靜，很少有華府官員對這些美製武器有朝一日會如何使用表達憂心。

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.

這套軍援計畫每年保證援助以國33億美元購買武器，並額外提供500萬美元用於飛彈防禦，如今已成為拜登政府的引爆點。由於以國在加薩走廊進行的軍事行動，自由派維權人士支持的少數國會議員，要求拜登限制甚或停止向以國運送武器。

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.

拜登一直嚴厲批評以國的戰爭行動，還一度稱之為「恣意轟炸」，但拒絕對美國軍援設限。

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.

美國歷屆民主黨和共和黨政府，數十年來一直與以國保持密切軍事關係。以國向美國採購許多重要裝備，包括戰機、直升機和防空飛彈，以及在加薩投下的非導引和導引炸彈。法律強制要求美國政府幫助以國保持相對於其他中東國家的武力優勢，或者「軍事品質優勢」。

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.

向以國運送武器的過程不透明，且路線很長。去年10月7日「哈瑪斯」襲擊者進行殺戮以來，美國向以國運送數以萬計武器，其中許多是美國國會和國務院很久以前就批准，並以歐巴馬時代協議規定的資金資助。

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.

拜登有權力限制任何對外武器交付，即使先前已獲國會批准。然而，拜登非但沒有斷供以國武器，還正推動他在10月7日襲擊後不久就提出的要求，額外提供140億美元武器援助給以色列以及美國在中東地區的軍事行動。由於關於援助烏克蘭和美國邊境安全相關爭論，且面臨民主黨人日益增加的擔憂，這筆資金一直在國會被擱置。

文／Michael Crowley and Edward Wong　譯／羅方妤