When Biden confirmed that USA will not deliver more bombs to Israelargued that it was to protect the civilian population and that these could not be used in Rafahsouthern territory Loop which is the target of Israeli attacks such as possible prelude to a massive ground operationwhich is rejected by Washington.
“In Loop “Civilians have died as a result of these bombs and other ways in which they attack population centers,” the president told cnnin one of his strongest statements against his ally so far in the war.
“I made it clear that if they enter Rafah“I will not supply the weapons that have historically been used to take care of places like Rafah, to take care of cities,” Biden said.
United States President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the 30th Annual Gala of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, on May 14, 2024. (EFE/EPA/Samuel Corum).
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In the same interview, Biden specified that the United States will continue to supply defensive weapons to Israel, like those of its anti-aircraft defense system Iron Domebut other shipments would cease in case a ground invasion of Rafah.
The pause in this sending of bombs to Israel was criticized by republicans, who argued that this represented the abandonment of the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East. But Democrats and international organizations supported the measure.
Additionally, House Republicans announced that they would introduce a bill ordering the delivery of offensive weapons to Israel.
The White House announced on Tuesday that Biden will veto that bill is finally approved by Congress.
The war in Gaza broke out on October 7, 2023 after an attack by the militiamen of Hamas in Israel which left 1,160 dead, most of them civilians. In addition, the Islamists kidnapped around 250 people and took them to Loopcurrently more than 100 remain captive.
The same day, Israel declared war on Hamas and promised to annihilate the Islamist group. So far, the Israeli air and ground offensive has caused more than 35,000 deaths in Gaza, most of them women and children.
What does the package that the United States will send to Israel contain?
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An Israeli army soldier gestures while standing on the turret of a battle tank located in southern Israel, near the border with the Gaza Strip, on May 9, 2024. (Photo by AHMAD GHARABLI / AFP ).
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The new weapon package for Israel released on Tuesday includes around 700 million dollars in tank ammunition500 million dollars in tactical vehicles and 60 million dollars in mortar shellsCongressional advisers told the AP agency.
A US congressional source told the AP that the administration’s notification Biden to lawmakers does not represent an imminent sale of war materiel, but rather would be an entirely new transaction, meaning any weapons could take years to be delivered to Israel.
Once a transfer weapons If Congress is notified, leaders of the House Foreign Affairs Committee or the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can block it, the AP noted.
Despite the temporary suspension of a shipment of bombs to Israel, Biden and his administration officials have made clear that they will continue other shipments and general military support to their ally, the largest recipient of American military aid.
On Monday, the National Security spokesperson, John Kirbymaintained that Biden will ensure that “Israel has all the military means it needs to defend itself against all his enemies, including Hamas”.
“For him, this is very simple: he will continue to provide Israel all the capabilities you need, but you don’t want certain categories of American weapons to be used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that,” he added. kirby.
Opinion…
The relationship between the United States and Israel will persist for life
By Carlos Novoa Shuña
International analyst
The United States will never do anything that harms Israel. With comings and goings, both countries have a very close relationship. The existence of the State of Israel depends largely on the support that the United States gives it..
Although in Democratic governments like the current one of Joe Biden there is a certain rapprochement towards the Palestinians, that does not harm the central axis of the relationship with Israel.
Even in the era of Barack Obama there came a time when the American president did not even speak with Benjamin Netanyahu. But still, he never did anything against Israel; He tried to do things in favor of the Palestinians but without this meaning turning his back on Israel, it was more a matter of form than substance.
So, while it is true that last week there was a Biden’s veto, which was considered by some to be a historic stance, was simply a snapshot of a moment. The Democrat sought two things: to put pressure on Netanyahu and to tone down criticism of the United States, which is always vetoing United Nations resolutions on the Palestinian issue.
How do you explain this strong relationship between Israel and the United States? First, because of the large number of American Jewish citizens who are aware of what is happening in Israel, there are about 6 million people. From that point of view there is an umbilical relationship. Second, In the United States there is a strong Jewish lobby that greatly influences Congress and the White House, which has existed since the 60s and has 100,000 members, with a lot of weight.
This relationship will persist for life. It is not only a question of economic interests, but it also has to do with social relations, ideology, similar visions of the world, with religious issues. For the United States it is a kind of obligation to support the existence of Israel.
Does the relationship go beyond geopolitics? The United States as a world power, and in accordance with the vision of realism in international relations, He has interests and not friends. So, it has a strategy in the Middle East that is linked to oil, which is why Saudi Arabia is a great ally, which provides a counterweight to Iran, Washington’s enemy. From a strategic geopolitical point of view, Israel is a small country, whose extension is similar to that of the department of Ica, it is the only democracy in the region, but with the United States it has more of a family relationship, not so much geopolitical because what It generates more expenses, but it is an obligation for the Americans to protect the Israelis.
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Israeli vehicles seen near Rafah on May 3, 2024. (AFP).
Israel already has enough soldiers to invade Rafah
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Palestinians carry their belongings as they prepare to flee Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, on May 13, 2024. (Photo by AFP).
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On the battlefield, the chain cnn reported that the administration Biden estimates that Israel already gathered enough soldiers on the outskirts of Rafah to carry out a large-scale raid in the coming days.
The outlet noted that senior US officials are not sure if Israel has already made the final decision to carry out the invasion of Rafahwhich would be a direct challenge to Biden.
At this point, it should be noted that the United States has required Israel guarantees for the integrity of civilians before carrying out an invasion of Rafah.
More than a million Palestinians have taken refuge in Rafah escaping Israel’s military actions in other areas of Loop.
A US official told CNN that Israel did not make adequate preparations for the safe evacuation of civilians, such as the construction of infrastructure related to food, hygiene and shelter.
CNN also reported that as the war enters its eighth month, US officials are increasingly questioning Israel’s approach to the conflict, even publicly suggesting that unlikely to achieve its stated goal of destroying Hamas and eliminate its leadership.
On Monday, Kurt Campbell, the State Department’s No. 2 official, said there were clearly tensions between the United States and Israel over “what the theory of victory is.”
“Sometimes, when we listen closely to Israeli leaders, they talk mainly about the idea of some kind of overwhelming victory on the battlefield, a total victory. “It doesn’t seem to me that we think that’s likely or possible,” Campbell said, in an apparent allusion to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s repeated references to a “total victory.”
“We believe that there must be a more political solution. That is one of the reasons the president’s team has been so committed to the surrounding region,” Campbell said at the NATO Youth Summit.
For his part, Secretary of State Antonty Blinken warned on Sunday that going “hasty towards Rafah” could have dire consequences.
“Israel is on track, potentially, to inherit an insurgency in which many armed Hamas remain or, if it leaves, a void filled with chaos, anarchy and that could likely be filled by Hamas,” Blinken said in the NBC’s “Meet the Press”.
