Nearly the entire Republican Senate conference denounced President Biden’s administration for what they perceived as a “partial arms embargo against Israel” amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Hamas. Sen. Tom Cotton led his GOP colleagues in criticizing Biden, accusing him of “emboldening” Israel’s enemies. The GOP senators highlighted a recent Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field in northern Israel that resulted in the deaths of 12 children and teens, calling it the deadliest attack in that area since October 7. They expressed concern over the administration’s decision to put a hold on weapons transfers to Israel, including 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs.
In May, it was revealed that the Biden administration had halted the transfer of certain weapons to Israel in Gaza as they were actively discouraging a potential ground invasion. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the delay in weapons, urging the administration to provide the necessary tools to help Israel in its conflict. The Republican senators held that Iran and Hezbollah were ultimately responsible for the attack, but criticized the administration’s fear of escalation, leaving Israel vulnerable and its enemies strengthened. They emphasized the importance of the long-standing military cooperation between the US and Israel, expressing concerns about the reliability of the US as a security partner.
The GOP senators pointed out that the delay in weapons shipments contradicted Congress’s will as they had previously passed a $95 billion supplemental foreign aid package that included assistance for Israel. They chastised Biden for failing to respond to inquiries from Congress regarding the weapons shipments, listing several letters that had been sent to the administration. The senators argued that the stalling tactics were endangering Israel and American servicemembers in the region. They called on Biden to take immediate action to expedite the delivery of approved weapons and ammunition to Israel.
The White House and the State Department did not provide a comment in response to the Republican senators’ criticism. The GOP senators emphasized the urgency of the situation, urging Biden to use all available means to ensure the prompt delivery of weapons and ammunition to Israel. Despite the united front presented by the Republican Senate conference, Sen. Rand Paul was notably absent from the denouncement of the administration’s actions against Israel. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has sparked international concern, with various countries and political factions weighing in on the situation. The Republican senators’ public condemnation of the Biden administration’s approach to the conflict underscores the deep political divisions surrounding US foreign policy in the Middle East.
