US said to delay shipment of weapons for security squads due to Ben Gvir’s conduct

 from Times of Israel

The United States has reportedly delayed a shipment of 4,500 M-16 rifles amid fears that the National Security Ministry led by far-right MK Itamar Ben Gvir is using them to arm settlers in the West Bank and is inappropriately distributing the weapons at political events.

The $13 million purchase from American suppliers was supposed to arm civilian security squads in towns throughout the country, The Marker business daily reported Tuesday. Ben Gvir has been arming the squads since the October 7 massacre, during which many of the towns targeted were not properly equipped to defend themselves from Hamas terrorists.

But Ben Gvir has made a point of turning the distribution of American-made weapons into political events, publishing photographs of himself with the newly armed security squads, and angering the US State Department in the process...

 The delayed shipment of 4,500 M-16s also raises concern that an even larger shipment of 15,000 rifles from the US ordered by the National Security Ministry will also be placed on hold...

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