White House official says Biden won’t make Israel aid conditional

Biden’s support for Israel has put him at odds with other liberal politicians who have called on the administration to condition aid to Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

White House officials told CNN on Tuesday that the Biden Administration had no intention of putting conditions on military aid to Israel.

These remarks come after Biden’s warning on Monday at a campaign fundraiser in Washington, hosted by former AIPAC board chair Lee Rosenberg, that international support for Israel was “waning” because of its “indiscriminate bombing” of Gaza.

Biden’s support for Israel has put him at odds with other liberal politicians who have called on the administration to condition aid for Israel on limiting its military campaign in Gaza and restricting settlements in Judea and Samaria.

However, despite this pressure, Biden Administration officials emphasized that the White House won’t shift its support for Israel in its war with Hamas or draw red lines around the sale of ammunition and munitions to Israel.

The State Department sent an emergency declaration to US lawmakers to suspend the usual 20-day period and expedite the sale of thousands of tank munitions to Israel.

President Biden has frequently criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and when asked by a journalist about making aid to Israel conditional, he mused it was a “worthwhile thought.”

However, the official insisted that the Biden Administration was merely making a passing comment and is committed to continuing its support of Israel during the war, including providing aid and ammunition.

Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the expedited transfer of military supplies to Israel, and posted on X, “It’s a mistake for the Biden admin to bypass Congress to approve the sale of tank ammo for Israel amid unacceptable civilian harm.”

She added, “Weapons transfers demand public scrutiny and thorough review. U.S. military aid should be contingent on upholding our values and international law.”

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has been one of the most vocal opponents of US aid for Israel and proposed legislation that would make it conditional on putting a stop to military operations, restricting settlement in Judea and Samaria, and ceding control of Gaza after the war.

However, Sanders made no mention of the return of the remaining hostages abducted by Hamas and held in Gaza, nor is there any demand for Hamas to cease the firing of rockets and missiles targeting Israeli civilian communities.