Biden to mull conditioning aid to 'Israel' if Rafah invasion pursued
4 Min Read
The US President is reportedly considering the idea of tying military aid to "Israel" to the prospect of a major invasion in Rafah, according to sources within the US administration.
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US President Joe Biden looks on before speaking about the costs of living during an address at the YMCA Allard Center March 11, 2024, in Goffstown, New Hampshire. (AFP)
US President Joe Biden is reportedly contemplating the possibility of linking military aid to "Israel" with its decision to proceed with a substantial invasion of Rafah, Politico reported.
This consideration comes from insights provided by four US officials familiar with internal administration perspectives, as per the report.
Biden's willingness to explore this option underscores the heightened tensions in his relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has previously rebuffed more nuanced attempts by the Biden administration to influence his handling of the current aggression on Gaza.
Although Biden has not yet made a definitive decision on restricting future weapons transfers, officials have claimed that such a measure is within the realm of possibility if "Israel" initiates a new operation that poses an increased threat to Palestinian civilians.
“It’s something he’s definitely thought about,” according to one of the officials, who, like the others, requested anonymity to speak candidly, as reported by Politico.
Biden has expressed different perspectives on future arms sales to "Israel". In the past year, he considered the notion of linking military assistance to certain conditions as a "worthwhile thought". In a recent interview, he affirmed his commitment to providing arms to "Israel", with a focus on the Iron Dome anti-air system. However, he also alleged that the occurrence of significant civilian casualties in Gaza represents a "red line" for him.
“You cannot have 30,000 more Palestinians dead,” Biden told MSNBC.
Regarding Biden's openness to linking aid to future Israeli actions, White House Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton stated that “he thinks that there are other approaches which we have taken and are taking that are more effective.”
“I don’t think that it’s productive to assign a ‘red line’ sort of terminology to what is a very complex set of policies,” she told journalists aboard Air Force One. “You’ve seen the president be very vocal and forthright about what we think about the situation on the ground and what needs to happen from here.”
Dissing Biden, Netanyahu says his policies are not harming "Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a comment made by US President Joe Biden on how the management of the war in Gaza is "hurting Israel more than helping it".
In an interview for Politico on March 10, Netanyahu dissed the US president, saying, "If he [Biden] meant by that that I'm pursuing private policies against the majority, the wish of the majority of Israelis, and that this is hurting the interests of Israel, then he's wrong on both counts."
Netanyahu said on Sunday, in response to a question about whether Israeli forces would advance into Rafah, "We'll go there. We're not going to leave. You know, I have a red line. You know what the red line is, that October 7 doesn't happen again. Never happens again."
Netanyahu claimed that he had the tacit support of other Arab leaders to press forward with the war on Gaza and to confront the Palestinian Resistance, without identifying them.
The American President stated on MSNBC on Saturday that he opposed the war escalating into Rafah and that he could not tolerate "30,000 more Palestinians dead."
Claiming that the "overwhelming majority" of Israelis support the war in Gaza, Netanyahu said the end goal is the "defeat of Hamas." After that, Netanyahu declared that the Palestinian Authority could not be allowed to govern Gaza, a matter he claimed Israelis agree with as well.
"Israelis say that once we destroy the Hamas, the last thing we should do is put in Gaza, in charge of Gaza, the Palestinian Authority that educates its children towards terrorism and pays for terrorism," he said.
He added that any claims of his policies being disavowed by settlers is false, and that "Israel" has never been more united.
Read more: 53% of Israelis believe Netanyahu is extending war to stay in power
