Topline
The Biden administration opposes attaching any conditions to more aid for Israel, Politico reported Wednesday, as some Democrats seek assurances that Israel will limit civilian casualties in Gaza—representing a deepening divide within the party about how to handle the growing Palestinian death toll.
President Joe Biden (L) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) meet in Tel Aviv, Israel … [+]
Key Facts
Biden is reportedly committed, for now, to delivering an aid package to Israel without any conditions attached, three unnamed White House officials told the outlet, with one noting that Biden’s private frustrations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his handling of the ongoing hostage situation indicate that he may not rule out aid-with-conditions in the future.
The report comes days after Biden told reporters the proposal was a “worthwhile thought,” rhetoric Politico sources described as a veiled warning to Netanyahu, and one that comes as Biden has softened his staunchly pro-Israel rhetoric amid calls for a long-term cease-fire and more than 15,000 Palestinian deaths in Gaza.
Biden’s insistence on approving his $14.3 billion request for aid to Israel without any strings attached could put him at odds with some mainstream Democrats and has emerged as a new challenge in pushing the aid package through Congress, where it also faces a roadblock from House Republicans who want to tie the additional funding to Internal Revenue Service cuts.
Twenty-four Democratic senators, representing the majority of the caucus, penned a letter to Biden earlier this month asking him to share an assessment of Israel’s military strategy as it considers the aid package, including whether it adheres to the “laws of war, including the protection of civilians.”
Democrats have amplified their concerns in recent days, including in a meeting Tuesday with White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters, declining to opine on the proposal for conditional aid to Israel.
What To Watch For
The Senate could vote on a joint Israel-Ukraine aid package as soon as next week, Schumer said Sunday in a letter to Senate Democrats. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) also said this week he is “confident” and “optimistic” Congress could approve additional aid for both countries before the end of the year.
Key Background
Biden’s request for aid to Israel is part of a broader $106 billion aid package that also includes funding for Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, additional border security and humanitarian assistance for Gaza. In the House, Republicans want to split aid for Ukraine and Israel into two separate packages, with the latter attached to IRS cuts and Ukraine aid tied to stricter border controls. Some hard-right House Republicans are also against providing any additional funding to Ukraine. Senators are largely united on both sides of the aisle about the need to approve more aid for both countries, but Republicans in the upper chamber say their support for aid to Ukraine is also contingent on additional border security measures. Progressive House Democrats, meanwhile, have criticized the Biden administration for refusing to endorse a permanent cease-fire, and some of them, namely Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), have angered others within the party for what some believe is a failure to strongly condemn Hamas’ attacks on Israel.
Angent
Biden caused some confusion Tuesday by tweeting what some social media users viewed as a tempered endorsement of a cease-fire. “To continue down the path of terror, violence, killing, and war is to give Hamas what they seek,” he wrote. “We can’t do that.” Biden has repeatedly said he supports “humanitarian pauses” to the violence, but has not called for an end to the Israeli counterattacks.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/11/29/israel-aid-deal-hits-another-snag-as-democrats-feud-over-gaza-war/