President Joe Biden is taking heat for declaring the United States will stop weapons shipments to Israel if it goes through with its planned offensive in Rafah.
During an interview on CNN, Biden said, “If [Israel goes] into Rafah — they haven’t gone into Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to do deal with the cities, to deal with that problem.”
However, he said the U.S. will continue to replenish Israel’s Iron Dome system.
And he claimed an assault on Rafah is “just wrong,” and reiterated, “We’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.”
Watch the video below:
BIDEN (a day after pledging "ironclad" support for Israel): "If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah." pic.twitter.com/N3JkcxXYae
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 8, 2024
Over 1 million Palestinians have sought shelter in Rafah, and the Biden administration has stated it would oppose any large scale military operations by Israel that did not feature a plan to protect civilians, per Axios.
The outlet also noted, “The administration has already put on hold a weapons shipment to Israel that included 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs, a senior U.S. official told Axios.”
Earlier this week, Israel took control of the Rafah crossing and started evacuations of neighborhoods in the area. However, Biden said those actions did not cross his red line.
“They haven’t gotten into the population centers. What they did was right on the border, and it’s causing problems with, right now, in terms of with Egypt,” the president told CNN.
The policy has not gone over well with conservatives, even among some who are not entirely against him.
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) wrote on X, “We stand by allies, we don’t second guess them. Biden’s dithering on Israel weapons is bad policy and a terrible message to Israel, our allies, and the world.”
We stand by allies, we don’t second guess them. Biden’s dithering on Israel weapons is bad policy and a terrible message to Israel, our allies, and the world.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) May 8, 2024
“Withholding aid to Israel is wrong and dangerous. America must not abandon Israel. Doing so would mean victory for Iran and all its terrorist allies,” wrote former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).
Withholding aid to Israel is wrong and dangerous. America must not abandon Israel. Doing so would mean victory for Iran and all its terrorist allies.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) May 9, 2024
Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) wrote, “Hard disagree and deeply disappointing.”
Hard disagree and deeply disappointing. pic.twitter.com/96aTeEvgPt
— U.S. Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) May 8, 2024
Check out some of the other reactions below:
There are Americans still trapped in Rafah. Biden has abandoned them.
— Erielle Azerrad (@politicalelle) May 8, 2024
To say this presidency is an abomination upon the legacy of the Western world is an understatement. A cowardly, embarrassing man. https://t.co/VWjjuRZDK8
Biden has now said expressly that he will cut off weapons to Israel if Israel invades Rafah. Let’s be brutally clear here — Israel cannot defeat Hamas without entering Rafah, where Hamas maintains four fully functioning battalions. Biden is siding with Hamas over Israel — there’s…
— David M Friedman (@DavidM_Friedman) May 8, 2024
Withholding weapons from Israel is a catastrophic policy.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) May 9, 2024
This will be devastating and go directly against the will of Congress. pic.twitter.com/iLPK3fyCmn
This is totally unacceptable. I’m old enough to remember when Democrats impeached another President for supposedly withholding foreign aid that had been approved by Congress. Stop the threats Joe. America Stands with Israel!🇺🇸🇮🇱 https://t.co/sqU1G2ngDY
— Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) May 8, 2024
