Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the Biden administration for withholding military aid in a video released on Tuesday while recounting a recent conversation with Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"I told Secretary Blinken it's inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel"
“When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation. I said I deeply appreciated the support the U.S. has given Israel from the beginning of the war. But I also said something else,” began Netanyahu. “I said, it’s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel. Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies.”
Last month, the U.S. announced that it would halt a shipment of 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700-pound bombs over concerns of how such weaponry might endanger civilian lives. Biden also said at the time that if the Israelis went into the southern Gaza city of Rafah, he wouldn’t be “supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.”
“We’re not walking away from Israel’s security. We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas,” insisted Biden at the time.
@ISIDEWITH3mos3MO
What impact do you think withholding military aid has on the relationship between allies during times of conflict?
@ISIDEWITH3mos3MO
How important is it for countries to support their allies unconditionally, even if they have concerns over certain actions?