President Joe Biden has taken a definitive stance that could mark a turning point in the longstanding U.S.-Israel alliance. Amidst a tense seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, the U.S. President has declared that he would withhold specific categories of offensive weaponry from Israel if it proceeds with a full-scale ground invasion into Rafah, Gaza.
In a CNN interview, Biden indicated that this decision was driven by humanitarian concerns and the acknowledgment of civilian casualties in Gaza resulting from the use of American-supplied heavy bombs. “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden stated. He emphasized, “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.”
The President’s stressing the conditional nature of its military support based on Israel’s actions. While the U.S. remains committed to Israel’s defense, exemplified by the continuous supply of Iron Dome rocket interceptors, Biden has unequivocally underscored that the support does not extend to operations in population centers such as Rafah.
Defensive Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed this position before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, mentioning the pause of “one shipment of high payload munitions” and stating, “We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself.”
The Biden administration’s rigorous stand on this issue has elicited strong reactions from Israeli officials, sparking condemnation and internal political friction. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed a resolute stance, highlighting Israel’s history of overcoming adversity alone, if necessary. Israeli officials privately expressed to US officials “deep frustration” on the pause in shipments as well as the US media briefings on the decision.
The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said they only learned about the military aid holdup from press reports, despite assurances from the Biden administration that no such pauses were in the works. The Republicans called on Biden in a letter to swiftly end the blockage, saying it “risks emboldening Israel’s enemies,” and to brief lawmakers on the nature of the policy reviews.
Concurrently, this policy stance has also caused ripples across the U.S. political spectrum, with former President Donald Trump labeling Biden’s approach as “disgraceful” and asserting that any Jewish voters who supported Biden should feel remorse for the perceived abandonment of Israel. Conversely, Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has called the halting of bomb shipments a necessary first step, advocating for the U.S. to cease complicity in what he terms a “horrific war against the Palestinian people.”
Relevant articles:
– Joe Biden says US will stop some weapons shipments to Israel if it invades Gaza city of Rafah , Yahoo Singapore News, 05/10/2024
– Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if it launches major invasion of Rafah, CNN, 05/09/2024
– Israel-Hamas war: Biden warns US won’t supply weapons for Rafah attack, The Associated Press, 05/09/2024
– Podcast: Biden Threatens Israel Over Rafah : The NPR Politics Podcast : NPR, NPR, 05/09/2024
– Biden’s threat to halt U.S. weapons to Israel draws immediate GOP blowback, The Washington Post, 05/09/2024