President Joe Biden is facing criticism from lawmakers in both parties for his ultimatum that a major Israeli offensive in Rafah would lead to a shut-off of some US weapons. The decision to publicly announce this ultimatum led to backlash from Republicans and concern from Democrats, with concerns raised about withholding precision guided weapons that could reduce civilian casualties. The US is reviewing potential sales of other munitions to Israel, but these transfers are not imminent. Despite warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden’s announcement marked a turning point in US-Israeli relations.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham called Biden’s ultimatum the worst decision in the history of US-Israel relations, urging the administration to continue weapons shipments to Israel. Other GOP members voiced concerns about Biden’s decision sending a negative message to Israel and aligning with the pro-Hamas wing of his party. A group of House Democrats also expressed deep concern over the message being sent to Hamas by withholding weapons shipments to Israel. Despite the backlash falling along party lines, some Democrats defended Biden’s decision to withhold certain weapons deemed inappropriate for use in Rafah.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US believes Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas terrorists during the conflict in Gaza and called for more efforts from Israel to mitigate civilian casualties. The State Department released a report acknowledging that US weapons may have been used by Israel in ways inconsistent with international law, but stopped short of officially stating that Israel violated the law. Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen expressed concerns about the report not providing an unvarnished accounting of the facts and setting a low standard for what is acceptable in terms of humanitarian aid.
Despite criticisms of the State Department report, some Democrats defended Biden’s actions, with Sen. Chris Coons stating that the President has taken forceful action that has received blowback. Sen. Chris Murphy highlighted the complexity of the situation in Gaza and emphasized the need for proportionality in Israeli military decisions. The President’s decision to withhold certain weapons from Israel has sparked debate and pushed lawmakers to consider the implications of US support for Israel during the conflict. As the situation continues to unfold, Biden faces pressure from both sides to navigate the delicate balance between supporting Israel and addressing concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza.
