Republicans demand answers after Biden admin halts Israel bomb shipments

May 8

By Lauren Taylor (Reporter), Ian Kennedy (Video Editor)

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The Biden administration confirmed it paused shipments of ammunition to Israel amid fears of a potential ground invasion near the Gaza border city of Rafah. Republicans demanded answers following this development.

Last month, Congress passed a $95 billion foreign aid package for Israel and Ukraine. The package allocated $15 billion for the Israeli military.

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According to U.S. officials, the administration halted the shipment of 3,500 bombs to apply pressure on Israeli leadership. The White House expressed concerns that Israel could use the weapons its offensive in Rafah. Over 1 million Palestinians sought refuge in the city amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., accused the president of appeasing what he termed Biden’s “radical anti-Semitic base.”

“It is time for the Biden administration to stop holding up that aid to Israel,” Scalise said. “Congress came together in a very bipartisan way to pass that much-needed relief so that they can go out and root out a terrorist organization who killed Israelis, who killed Americans, who still has about 130 hostages that they’re holding. And the Biden administration is going to hold up the aid to Israel?”

“Last week you saw the House pass overwhelmingly a bill to stand up to the antisemitism that we’re seeing on college campuses all across America. If only those college presidents would do their jobs in protecting their students, Jewish students that are threatened every… pic.twitter.com/HR0mHUqAOC
— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) May 7, 2024

Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Ted Budd, R-N.C., penned a letter to the Biden administration, demanding to know why Congress was not notified of the decision to delay the weapons shipment.

In the letter, Republicans asked for clarification on why the Biden administration withheld aid without informing Congress, whether there are plans to withhold aid in the future and how delaying aid helps Israel defend itself from terrorists.

The decision to postpone the weapons shipment follows President Biden’s repeated assurances since Oct. 7 that he stands with Israel. Biden emphasized his commitment to Israel’s security when signing the military aid package into law.

“My commitment to Israel, I want to make clear again, is ironclad,” Biden stated two weeks ago. “The security of Israel is critical. We’ll always make sure Israel has what it needs to defend itself against Iran and terrorists it supports.”

In February, Biden issued a memorandum stipulating that recipients of U.S. military aid must adhere to U.S. laws. The Biden administration is set to deliver its verdict to Congress on Wednesday, May 8, regarding whether Israel violated international or U.S. laws when it conducted airstrikes on Gaza or withheld humanitarian aid for Palestinians.

If Israel is found to have violated U.S. laws, Biden could face increased pressure from Democratic lawmakers to continue withholding military aid to the Jewish state.

Tags: Foreign aid, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Joe Biden, Military Aid, Steve Scalise

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION CONFIRMS – IT HAS PAUSED SHIPMENTS OF AMMUNITION TO ISRAEL OVER CONCERNS OF A GROUND INVASION OF THE GAZA BORDER CITY, RAFAH.

REPUBLICANS ARE DEMANDING ANSWERS FOLLOWING THE NEWS.

LAST MONTH, CONGRESS PASSED A $95-BILLION DOLLAR FOREIGN AID PACKAGE FOR ISRAEL AND UKRAINE – EARMARKING $15-BILLION DOLLARS IN AID FOR THE ISRAELI MILITARY.

U-S OFFICIALS SAID THE ADMINISTRATION PAUSED THE SHIPMENT OF 35-HUNDRED BOMBS TO APPLY PRESSURE TO ISRAELI LEADERSHIP. THE WHITE HOUSE VOICING CONCERNS THE WEAPONS COULD BE USED IN ISRAEL’S RAFAH OFFENSIVE – WHERE MORE THAN A MILLION PALESTINIANS HAVE FLED TO – AMID THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR.

HOUSE MAJORITY LEADER STEVE SCALISE ACCUSED THE PRESIDENT OF APPEASING WHAT SCALISE CALLED BIDEN’S QUOTE “RADICAL ANTI-SEMITIC BASE.”

[REP. STEVE SCALISE]

“IT IS TIME FOR THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO STOP HOLDING UP THAT AID TO ISRAEL. CONGRESS CAME TOGETHER IN A VERY BIPARTISAN WAY TO PASS THAT MUCH NEEDED RELIEF SO THAT THEY CAN GO OUT AND ROOT OUT A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION WHO KILLED ISRAELIS, WHO KILLED AMERICANS, WHO STILL HAS ABOUT 130 HOSTAGES THAT THEY’RE HOLDING. AND THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS GOING TO HOLD UP THE AID TO ISRAEL?”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

REPUBLICAN SENATORS JONI EARNST AND TED BUDD – WROTE A LETTER TO THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION – DEMANDING TO KNOW WHY CONGRESS WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE DECISION TO DELAY THE WEAPONS SHIPMENT.

REPUBLICANS WANT TO KNOW WHY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITHHELD THE AID AND DID NOT TELL CONGRESS… IF THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PLANS TO WITHHOLD AID IN THE FUTURE… AND TO EXPLAIN HOW THE DECISION TO WITHHOLD THE AID IS HELPFUL TO ISRAEL DEFENDING ITSELF FROM TERRORISTS.

THE DECISION TO DELAY THE WEAPONS SHIPMENT CAME AFTER PRESIDENT BIDEN PROMISED NUMEROUS TIMES SINCE OCTOBER 7TH TO HAVE ISRAEL’S BACK.

HERE’S WHAT BIDEN SAID JUST MOMENTS AFTER SIGNING THE MILITARY AID PACKAGE INTO LAW:

[PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN]

“MY COMMITMENT TO ISRAEL, I WANT TO MAKE CLEAR AGAIN, IS IRONCLAD. THE SECURITY OF ISRAEL IS CRITICAL. WE’LL ALWAYS MAKE SURE ISRAEL HAS WHAT IT NEEDS TO DEFEND ITSELF AGAINST IRAN AND TERRORISTS IT SUPPORTS.”

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

IN FEBRUARY – BIDEN ISSUED A MEMORANDUM STATING RECIPIENTS OF US MILITARY AID MUST FOLLOW US LAWS.

THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS EXPECTED TO DELIVER ITS VERDICT TO CONGRESS WEDNESDAY — ON WHETHER ISRAEL HAS VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAWS OR US LAWS WHEN IT COMES TO AIRSTRIKES ON GAZA OR WITHHELD HUMANITARIAN AID FOR PALESTINIANS.

IF ISRAEL IS FOUND TO HAVE VIOLATED US LAWS – BIDEN COULD FACE MORE PRESSURE FROM DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS TO CONTINUE WITHHOLDING MILITARY AID TO THE JEWISH STATE.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS – I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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