President Biden tells CNN why he is withholding weapons from Israel (video clip)

MKs Come Out Swinging Against Biden's Weapons Hold

Details
The Judean Staff
Politics

Israel's Knesset members from across the center-right spectrum have come out in fierce critique of U.S. President Joe Biden after the octogenarian Democrat's administration reportedly has been slow-walking, and in some cases even withholding military support to Israel.

In what is likely the most stinging of the rebukes, Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu of the ultra-conservative Otzma Yehudit party has launched a scathing attack on President Biden, likening his stance on withholding military support to Israel to one of the darkest moments of appeasement in history. Eliyahu boldly stated in a tweet on X (formerly Twitter), "Joe Biden has the opportunity to stand as a Churchillian figure, yet he opts for the shadow of Chamberlain, embracing dishonor which will bring both dishonor and war upon us." 

The choice of words paraphrased Churchill’s legendary condemnation of Arthur Neville Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister who signed off on the Munich Agreement in 1938 which ceded parts of Czechoslovakia to Hitler, believing that capitulation would satiate Hitler's desire for conquest. One year later, Hitler invaded Poland and Chamberlain, who had not prepared England for this inevitability, declared war on Germany.

Another ultra-conservative lawmaker, MK Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionism party echoed these sentiments, highlighting US Senator Mitt Romney’s criticism that "Biden's hesitation on arming Israel is not just flawed policy; it's a disastrous signal to our staunchest ally and the entire globe." Meanwhile, Otzam Yehudit head, Itamar Ben Gvir posted a tweet that said Hamas loves Biden, using a heart instead of the word love.

Eliyahu’s fiery rhetoric referenced Winston Churchill’s legendary denouncement of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policy. This follows Biden’s unprecedented public threat to halt arms shipments if Israel proceeds with a ground invasion of Rafah, in a move seen as bowing to international pressure over the civilian casualties in Gaza caused by these weapons.

Many scholars and war analysts have questioned the numbers of dead as has been reported by the Hamas-led Gaza Ministry of Health which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and often classifies men up until the age of 24 to be "children".  Wharton professor Abraham Wyner used data science to prove in March that the Gaza death toll was a statistical impossibility given the death rate's linear growth, even on days when there were no strikes or incursions. 

Adding to the chorus, Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan condemned the U.S. decision as a boon to those who wish to destroy Israel. Speaking to KAN radio, Erdan stated, "This perceived weakness is celebrated by our foes—from Iran to Hamas and Hezbollah—as a sign that their malicious objectives are within reach, especially if Israel is barred from pivotal operations in areas like Rafah, a known haven for Hamas leadership and terrorist activities."

Erdan's remarks came shortly after Biden’s stark warning about halting specific arms supplies should Israeli forces enter Rafah, a stronghold housing major Hamas operational battalions.

President Biden asserted his administration’s continued support for Israel’s broader security needs, like the Iron Dome, but firmly stated, "We will not be supplying the additional weapons and artillery shells needed for operations in places like Rafah."

Matan Kahana, Religious Affairs Minister and member of Benny Gantz’s centrist National Unity Party, criticized the U.S. stance as unbecoming of a nation committed to Israel's security, which Biden has previously described as "ironclad."

Likud MK Dan Illouz went further, arguing that Biden’s policy on Rafah and conditional weapons sales compromises not just Israel but the entire free world. “This approach not only endangers our crucial fight against the dreadful Hamas but also bolsters global terrorism, risking international peace and security,” Illouz added. “Israel is undeterred: we will triumph over Hamas and continue safeguarding global freedoms.”

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