The Intercept Reports JFK Airport Facilitates Arms Shipments to Israel
Translated & summarized from Alarab by baba
The Intercept reported that John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York has become a transit point for U.S. arms shipments to Israel, including bunker-buster bombs and JDAM kits. These weapons have been used in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, with a former State Department official warning of their danger to civilians. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated it lacks the authority to intervene in cargo shipments. The Democratic Socialists of America are organizing a campaign to stop these arms flows through JFK.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- JFK Airport is reportedly used to ship U.S. bombs and equipment, including bunker-busters, to Israel.
- Challenge Airlines transported BLU-109 bomb structures and JDAM kits via JFK this spring.
- Former State Department official Josh Paul warned of the danger 2,000-pound bombs pose to civilians.
- The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey stated it has no authority to intervene in cargo shipments.
- The Democratic Socialists of America are campaigning to halt arms shipments to Israel through JFK.
A recent report by The Intercept revealed that New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) has been used to transport American-made heavy bombs and other equipment to Israel. These weapons have reportedly been utilized in conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
An investigation by the left-wing research group Movement Research Unit, whose findings were shared with The Intercept, indicated that Challenge Airlines, an Israel-based cargo carrier, conducted three flights this spring carrying the structures of BLU-109 bunker-buster bombs. These 2,000-pound bombs are cited as responsible for numerous casualties in civilian areas of Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. The data also suggests over 100 shipments of Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits, which convert unguided bombs into GPS-guided munitions, were transported. Many of these kits were intended for MK-84 bombs, also weighing 2,000 pounds, which Israel has used extensively in Gaza.
Josh Paul, a former State Department official who resigned over U.S. arms sales to Israel, stated that 2,000-pound bombs pose a significant risk to civilians. He drew a parallel to the U.S. campaign against ISIS in Mosul, where such bombs were rarely used due to the high potential for indiscriminate damage in urban environments. Paul commented that Israel's extensive use of these weapons in Gaza, including a deadly strike on the Jabalia refugee camp, appears practically indistinguishable from indiscriminate bombing, according to a New York Times analysis.
Neither Challenge Airlines nor the Israeli military responded to requests for comment. A spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), which manages JFK, stated that the primary responsibility for permissible cargo lies with federal authorities and airlines, and the Port Authority lacks the authority to intervene. While the reported shipments of JDAM kits and BLU-109 bomb structures did not contain active explosives, previous arms shipments through JFK have included explosives, such as 14 tons of nitrocellulose bound for Israel in May 2025.
The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) is organizing a campaign to halt arms shipments to Israel via JFK. A DSA member named Henry expressed concern that civilian infrastructure is being used to facilitate the conflict in Gaza, arguing that civilian air travel should prioritize passengers, not weapons, and that workers should not be compelled to participate in a military supply chain.