Why we're still arming Israel
Today, Explained

Why we're still arming Israel

B2Upper-intermediateSeptember 24, 202625 min
  • Interview
  • Politics

A majority of Americans have a negative view of Israel. Trump wants to send a massive shipment of bombs to the country anyway. This episode was produced by Miles Bryan and Ariana Aspuru, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Gabriel Dunatov, engineered by David Tatasciore, and hosted by Noel King. Protesters rally outside the White House against Israeli bombing of Gaza on March 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images. Listen to Today, Explained ad-free by becoming a Vox Member: vox.com/members. New Vox members get $20 off their membership right...

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The bombs were 2,000 pound American made bunker busters.

concerns they would be misused in other highly populated areas.

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0:00

In late October 2023, about three weeks into Israel's war in Gaza, the Israeli military bombed a refugee camp called Jabalia, one of the most densely populated places on earth. A witness described to CNN that it, quote, felt like the end of the world. Here they are, children. We are filling up bags with children. We are placing them in bags. It is horrible. It is horrifying. It is just shocking.

0:25

Israel was targeting Hamas militants and said it killed several of them in Jabalia. 23 kids were also killed. The bombs were 2,000 pound American made bunker busters. The Biden administration eventually stopped selling those to Israel over

0:39

concerns they would be misused in other highly populated areas. Now President Trump wants to send more of those bombs to Israel and American tax dollars are going to pay for them. Coming up on Today Explained from Vox, a new book documenting the failures of

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