Two Dozen House Dems Slam Biden on Withholding Military Aid for Israel; Say it Emboldens Hamas
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a striking move that reverberated through the corridors of power in Washington, D.C., more than two dozen House Democrats, led by Representative Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey, have expressed deep concerns over President Joe Biden’s decision to withhold military aid from Israel, according to a report that appeared on Friday in the New York Post. This group of lawmakers, alarmed by the implications of such a decision, articulated their apprehensions in a forthright letter to Jake Sullivan, the National Security Adviser.
Their letter sharply criticizes the withholding of military support, arguing that such a move “only emboldens our mutual enemies, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other Iranian-backed proxies, ” as was reported by the Post. The timing of their letter, coming seven months after what was aptly described as “the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the end of the Holocaust,” sheds light on the heightened sense of urgency and peril. The Post also reported that according to these lawmakers, Iranian-backed groups continue to pose severe threats, launching attacks against both Israeli and American targets. This backdrop of ongoing aggression serves to amplify their alarm.
The lawmakers’ distress is compounded by a globally rising tide of anti-Semitism, which they see as spreading unchecked, adding a layer of socio-cultural threat to the strategic and physical menaces.
President Biden’s stance, as he articulated in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, reflects a nuanced approach to the complex geopolitical and humanitarian issues at play. He declared a conditional withholding of arms, specifically if Israeli forces proceed with an invasion of Rafah, a crucial stronghold of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to the Post report. This decision not to supply arms for such an operation highlights a strategic pivot, focusing on the potential humanitarian impact on Rafah’s civilian population, estimated at 1.5 million people.
The specifics of the withheld military aid include substantial quantities of munitions, detailed by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre: 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, the report in the Post noted. “We are especially focused on the end use of the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact they could have in dense urban settings as we have seen in other parts of Gaza,” Jean-Pierre stated. She also noted that no final decision has been made regarding the continuation of this military aid.
Jean-Pierre’s statements further clarified that the objective of the administration’s decision is to prevent the use of American-supplied weaponry in specific types of military operations that could endanger large numbers of civilian lives.
This decision comes in the wake of a harrowing conflict that began with an October 7 invasion by Hamas, leading to the death of 1,200 people, including 33 U.S. citizens, and the kidnapping of 240 individuals. The Post report said that among those kidnapped, more than 130, including five Americans, remain held in the Gaza Strip, under uncertain conditions regarding their survival or well-being.
In a stark response to the U.S. decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video message that conspicuously avoided mentioning Biden, expressed a resolute stance for his nation. “If we have to stand alone, we will stand alone,” Netanyahu declared, according to the Post report.
Critics of the U.S. decision, including more than two dozen House Democrats led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer, argue that withholding such critical aid emboldens Iranian-backed terror groups and complicates efforts to secure a hostage agreement. These lawmakers contend that the pause in military support inadvertently supports the agendas of Iranian backed terrorist groups such as Hamas, characterized by chaos, brutality, and hatred.
The Democrats argue that by stalling the shipments, it could lead to increased vulnerability for Palestinians. According to them, terror groups may exploit the lack of military pressure to continue diverting humanitarian aid meant for civilian relief, thus putting innocent lives at greater risk, the Post reported. This assertion calls attention to a broader concern about the consequences of interrupting aid flows in conflict zones, where non-state actors might leverage power vacuums to their advantage.
Echoing President Biden’s previous statements, the group reminded the administration of its commitment to eliminate Hamas, which Biden emphasized after the tragic events of October 7. They argue that the administration’s current stance might contradict its earlier assertions about its commitments in the region, particularly concerning America’s closest ally, Israel.
The Post reported that the Democratic members also highlighted the potential geopolitical risks of reducing military support at such a critical juncture. “When we abandon these duties, we leave a vacuum of American leadership for our anti-democratic adversaries to fill,” they stated, suggesting that the absence of decisive American intervention could invite further destabilization by empowering regimes opposed to U.S. interests and democratic values globally.
Amidst these concerns, Gottheimer and his colleagues have sought a classified briefing to gain clearer insights into the administration’s strategy and to ensure that the significant sum of $17 billion in military aid approved by Congress for Israel is expedited, as was noted in the Post report. Their request aims to secure a timeline and reassurances that the aid will reach its intended destination promptly to support Israel’s defense capabilities in a region fraught with conflict and uncertainty.
