The U.S. House of Representatives voted 224 to 187 to pass a bill that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel as the administration has been undermining the Jewish state by withholding certain weapons as they fight Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refused to bend the knee and fight in the Hamas-controlled city of Rafah the manner Biden demands, despite the president’s continued threats.
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Although the bill has little chance of passing the Democrat-controlled Senate (and Biden would veto it anyway), it’s nevertheless a strong rebuke from the GOP—and the 16 Democrats who joined them—of Biden’s disjointed Israel policies, which have pleased virtually nobody. Many on the right accuse him of continually sabotaging Netanyahu, while crazed leftists like the ones we see on college campuses across the country allege the president supports genocide.
Related:
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Senator Tom Cotton Introduces Bill to Force Continued Arms Sales to Israel
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said the measure sends a strong message:
The tweet continues:
With the passage of the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, we send a clear message of solidarity and support to Israel and demand the urgent delivery of defense weapons to our most important ally in the Middle East.
The President’s threat to veto this legislation and Leader Schumer’s refusal to bring it to a vote in the Senate are acts of betrayal to our closest ally in the region. What’s more alarming is the 184 House Democrats that joined them in siding with the radical, pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic party. Security assistance to Israel is an urgent priority that must not be delayed.
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There was a lot of finger-pointing between the two sides leading up to the vote:
Republicans accused Biden of turning his back on Israel after facing widespread pro-Palestinian protests.
“This is a catastrophic decision with global implications. It is obviously being done as a political calculation, and we cannot let this stand,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson told a news conference with other party leaders on Wednesday.
Democrats also accused the other party of playing politics, saying Republicans are distorting Biden’s position on Israel.
“It is not a serious effort at legislation, which is why some of the most pro-Israel members of the House Democratic caucus will be voting no,” House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries told a news conference before the vote.
Israel, a major recipient of U.S. military assistance for decades, is still due to get billions of dollars of U.S. weaponry, despite the delay of one shipment of 2,000-pound (907-kg) and 500-pound bombs and the review of other weapons shipments by the Biden administration.
The measure does send a message, but unfortunately has no teeth. Biden will likely continue undermining Israel unless he decides he’ll get more votes by supporting them. What’s wrong or right doesn’t seem to affect his political calculus.
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