Republican senators accuse President Biden of "disgraceful" behavior after he threatened to cut offensive aid to Israel during its conflict with Hamas, claiming the move is politically motivated to appease the "pro-Hamas wing of the Democrat Party" ahead of the November elections.
Republican senators have vehemently criticized President Biden's warning to cut offensive aid to Israel during its conflict with Hamas, accusing him of making a political decision to appease the "pro-Hamas wing of the Democrat Party" in the upcoming November elections.
Biden recently threatened to halt aid to Israel if the country invaded Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. "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 told CNN.
Republican senators believe that Biden's decision is directly related to the anti-Israel protests that have erupted on college campuses across the country. They argue that Biden is caving to pressure from those who support Hamas and are calling for the destruction of Israel.
Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., said that Biden is "willing to risk U.S.-Israel relations" by making this threat. "I do think he caved to the folks on campus, who are calling for the death of Israel," Schmitt said. "And I think the pro-Hamas wing of the Democrat Party is growing."
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, echoed Schmitt's sentiments, saying that "today's Democrat Party is terrified of the radical left in the party." He accused the Biden administration of "simultaneously flooding cash to the Hamas terrorists while they're cutting off weapons to Israel."
Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C., believes that Biden's threat is directly tied to his re-election bid. "This is all about November, Joe Biden," Budd said. "This is about Minnesota. This is about Michigan. He's collapsing in these swing states. And so he's trying to stitch this together, and it's completely off the rails."
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., agreed that Biden's statement was a response to the protests. "I think he's caved to the college agitators," Marshall said. "It just doesn't make sense to any of us. And that's why I encourage everybody to not listen to what he says. Watch what Joe Biden does. It makes no sense."
Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., has even filed articles of impeachment against Biden, citing the same accusations that were made against President Trump, which resulted in his impeachment.
The backlash against Biden's decision has been swift and bipartisan. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country "will stand alone" to defeat Hamas if necessary. Even some Democrats have expressed concern, with Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., calling Biden's threat "unacceptable."
Biden's decision to threaten aid to Israel has raised questions about his commitment to the U.S.-Israel alliance. It remains to be seen how this will impact the relationship between the two countries and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
