Joe Biden announced that he will not supply weapons to Israel for its military incursion into Rafah, a key territory within the Gaza Strip. The president made the statement during an interview with CNN, in which he also reaffirmed his commitment to defending the Jewish State, for which he would help with rocket interceptors for the Iron Dome and other defensive weapons.
Days before, the White House had to express itself on whether the airstrikes in Gaza violated U.S. and international laws. Biden assured that his government was not going to "supply the weapons and artillery shells used (to advance on Rafah)."
"Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers. 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," he added.
BIDEN (a day after pledging "ironclad" support for Israel): "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah." pic.twitter.com/N3JkcxXYae
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 8, 2024
The Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, had previously advanced the president's statements. "We will continue to do what is necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself. But that said, we are currently reviewing some shipments of short-term security aid in the context of the development of events in Rafah," the official said on the morning of Wednesday, May 8.
The Israel Defense Forces have already managed to take control of the Rafah crossing (on the Gaza side), thanks to a coordinated operation by deployed troops and intelligence services. According to reports, during the first hours of the raid, they eliminated about 20 terrorists and located and destroyed three tunnels.
Republican rebuke
Republican congressional leaders Mitch McConnell in the Senate and Mike Johnson in the House wrote Biden a joint letter seeking explanations for the decision.
Clarifying that they had learned of the news through press reports, they assured that the president's initiative calls "into question your pledge that your commitment to Israel's security will remain ironclad."
"This news flies in the face of assurances provided regarding the timely delivery of security assistance to Israel. (...) The American public deserves to understand the nature, timing, and scope of these reviews," they continued.
BREAKING: Speaker Johnson and Senate minority leader McConnell send a letter to President Biden expressing alarm about the decision to pause a weapons shipment to Israel and ask for clarification by the end of the week pic.twitter.com/OLd7agcEf1
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 8, 2024
In turn, they noted that "daylight between the United States and Israel at this dangerous time risks emboldening Israel's enemies and undermining the trust that other allies and partners have in the United States."
In closing, Johnson and McConnell wrote that security assistance to Israel is "an urgent priority that should not be delayed."
The United States supports the advance in Rafah
According to a survey conducted by Harvard Caps and Harris Polls in April, 72% gave a favorable opinion about the Israeli military advance on Rafah, while the remaining 28% opted for a scenario in which Hamas remains in charge of the territory.
In turn, the highest percentages of support for the military incursion came from the oldest respondents.
