The U.S. House of Representatives voted 224 to 187 to pass legislation that would do this force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel as the government undermines the Jewish state by withholding certain weapons in the fight against Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to bend the knee and fight as Biden demands in the Hamas-controlled city of Rafah, despite the president’s continued threats.
While the bill has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate (and Biden would veto it anyway), it still represents a sharp rebuke from the GOP — and the 16 Democrats who have joined them — to Biden incoherent Israel policy that virtually no one liked. Many on the right accuse him of constantly sabotaging Netanyahu, while loony leftists like the ones we see on college campuses across the country claim the president supports genocide.
Related:
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House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the measure sends a forceful message:
My statement on the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act in the House of Representatives:
The Biden administration’s decision to withhold weapons is disastrous and directly contradicts the will of Congress. With the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, we are sending a clear message…
– Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 16, 2024
The tweet continues:
With the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, we are sending a clear message of solidarity and support to Israel and calling for the urgent delivery of defensive weapons to our most vital Middle East ally.
The President’s threat to veto this bill and Chairman Schumer’s refusal to bring it to a vote in the Senate are betrayals of our closest ally in the region. Even more worrying is the fact that the 184 Democrats in the House of Representatives have joined them and sided with the radical, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party. Security assistance to Israel is an urgent priority that cannot be delayed.
In the run-up to the vote, there was a lot of finger-pointing between the two sides:
Republicans accused Biden of turning his back on Israel after he faced widespread pro-Palestinian protests.
“This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. “It’s obviously a political calculation and we can’t let that happen,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson said Wednesday at a news conference with other party leaders.
Democrats also accused the other party of political games and said Republicans were distorting Biden’s position on Israel.
“This is not a serious attempt at legislation, which is why some of the most pro-Israel members of the House Democratic caucus will vote no,” House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries said at a news conference before the vote.
Israel, a major recipient of American military aid for decades, is still due despite the Biden administration’s delay of a shipment of 2,000-pound (907-kg) and 500-pound bombs and reviews of other weapons shipments.
The scale sends a message, but unfortunately it has no teeth. Biden will likely continue to undermine Israel unless he decides to get more votes through his support. What is wrong or right seems to have no bearing on his political calculations.
