Israeli officials have criticized the United States and engaged in internal disputes following US President Joe Biden’s statement that he would halt certain shipments of American weapons to Israel if a large-scale ground operation is initiated in the city of Rafah.
After Biden made his remarks, in an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said he believed the decision “can encourage the enemies of the State of Israel and the Israeli nation,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the announcement by posting a short clip of a speech he delivered a few days ago, in which he said: “If Israel is forced to stand alone, Israel will stand alone.”
Israeli war and security cabinets are scheduled to meet on Thursday evening in response to Biden’s threat, as reported by two Israeli officials to CNN.
The president’s statement, indicating a willingness to tie American weaponry to Israel’s actions, marks a significant shift in the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas. Additionally, his acknowledgment that American bombs were utilized in civilian casualties in Gaza underscores the United States’ involvement in the conflict.
The president has faced immense pressure, including from within his own party, to restrict arms shipments amidst a humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
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Biden’s remarks to CNN represent a significant setback for Israel’s military campaign. The United States stands as Israel’s foremost and most influential ally, and without its backing, Israel’s military capabilities and objectives in Gaza would be diminished.
For months, the Biden administration has been urging Israel to enhance civilian protection measures in Gaza and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to the region.
The US has consistently urged Netanyahu and his government to reconsider their plans for a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza, where over 1 million people have sought refuge from conflict in other parts of the strip.
Israel has thus far conducted a limited operation in the vicinity of the city, seizing control of the Palestinian section of the Rafah crossing—an essential gateway for aid into Gaza—and conducting military strikes on the outskirts of the city.
Recent satellite imagery obtained by CNN from Planet Labs indicates that Israel’s operations in Rafah have evolved from airstrikes to ground engagements in recent days.
On Monday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) instructed residents in eastern Rafah to evacuate promptly in anticipation of a military operation. They directed them to relocate to Al-Mawasi, a coastal town near Khan Younis, which aid organizations have criticized as overcrowded and unsuitable for habitation. According to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), approximately 79,000 individuals have fled the city since Monday.
Despite mounting international pressure, the Biden administration has stood firm with Israel, delivering weapons and other support. The threat on Wednesday came just a day after Biden used his speech at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to remind people of the horrors of the October 7 attacks on Israel, when Hamas-led fighters killed around 1,200 people in Israel and kidnapped more than 250. Many of the hostages taken into Gaza on that day are still being held in the strip.
“Too many people denying, downplaying, rationalizing and ignoring the horrors of the Holocaust and October 7 — including Hamas’ appalling use of sexual violence to torture and terrorize Jews. It’s absolutely despicable – and it must stop,” he said on Tuesday, raising his voice.
The president struck a very different note on Wednesday. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem,” Biden said, adding that the US would continue supplying defensive weapons to Israel.
Biden’s remarks have elicited considerable outrage from certain Israeli politicians.
Addressing an occasion commemorating fallen Israeli soldiers and victims of terror attacks, Israel’s Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant stated “I turn to Israel’s enemies as well as to our best of friends and say – the State of Israel cannot be subdued, not the IDF, not the defense establishment, and not the State of Israel. We will stand strong, we will achieve our goals – we will hit Hamas, we will hit Hezbollah, and we will achieve security.”
Miki Zohar, a minister from Netanyahu’s Likud party, said it was “amazing to discover that the world has forgotten what happened in Israel on October 7.” “We will not compromise our security, and we will never agree to submit to any demands that harm Israel’s national security,” he added in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The announcement has also highlighted the profound divisions among Israel’s different political factions.
That statement elicited a response from the country’s President Isaac Herzog, who cautioned against “baseless, irresponsible and insulting statements and tweets” during a speech marking the anniversary of the Victory Day.
Other prominent Israeli officials also condemned Ben Gvir’s remarks. Yair Lapid, of the centrist Yesh Atid party, replied: “If Netanyahu does not fire Ben Gvir today, he is endangering every soldier in the IDF and every citizen in the State of Israel.”
The leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Merav Michaeli, said that “Netanyahu and his government continue to make Israel’s strategic situation worse.”
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