Republicans in the Senate have accused the Democratic Party, including President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, of emboldening Iran prior to the country’s recent direct attack on Israel. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas claimed that the Democratic focus on appealing to their radical left base, which supports Hamas and Iran, led to Iran using funds from the United States to make drones and missiles for the attack. The attack over the weekend marked a major escalation from Iran’s previous involvement in attacks against Israel through proxies in Syria and Yemen.
Republicans in the Senate, including Sen. Tom Cotton and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, have criticized Democrats, President Biden, and Chuck Schumer for undermining Israel and shifting the U.S.’s position on the conflict. Prior to the attack, Biden had hardened his posture toward Israel as it fought Hamas in Gaza and warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the U.S.’s policy if civilian casualties and safety for humanitarian aid workers were not addressed. Schumer had also called on Israel to hold elections to replace Netanyahu, leading to outrage from Republicans over the potential impact on U.S.-Israel relations.
The attack on Israel by Iran, directly from its own country, caught many observers off guard. While Democrats had expected the attack due to intelligence indicating it was in response to an incident in April, the scale of the attack and its direct targeting of Israel was shocking. Democrats in the Senate objected to two requests for unanimous consent to vote on stand-alone Israel aid bills, but most Democrats expressed support for a foreign aid package that ties Israel aid to Ukraine aid. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and other Republicans criticized the Biden administration and Schumer for their lack of support for Israel.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates defended Biden’s posture toward Israel, rejecting claims that he emboldened Iran to attack. Bates pointed out that Biden had ordered the American military to defend Israel and had visited the country during wartime to show support. He also emphasized that Biden has not criticized Israel and has upheld the U.S.’s commitment to Israel’s security. Criticism from Republicans, including Sen. Tim Scott, accused Biden of trying to balance appeasing his party’s base with supporting Israel, which they argued was undermining U.S. support for its ally.
A source familiar with a classified intelligence briefing requested by Schumer stated that there were no disruptions to ongoing hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas if Schumer gave his speech on Israel. Schumer’s office pushed back against claims that he did not support Israel, emphasizing the importance of the U.S.’s commitment to Israel’s security and the need for bipartisan support for Israel’s defense and operations against Iranian-backed aggression in the Red Sea. While tensions between Iran and Israel have been ongoing for years, some Democrats are concerned that the party’s posture on Israel could give Iran the impression that American support for Israel is wavering.
Despite Democratic objections to stand-alone Israel aid bills, the majority of Democrats maintained support for a foreign aid package that included support for both Israel and Ukraine. Republicans criticized Democrats for blocking immediate aid to Israel and accused the left of playing politics at the expense of supporting important allies. McConnell labeled Schumer’s call for new Israeli elections as hypocritical and unprecedented, arguing that the Democratic Party has an anti-Israel problem rather than just an issue with Netanyahu. The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, now escalated to direct attacks, has exposed deep divisions within Congress over how to support Israel and address escalating threats in the region.
