- NBC reports that Biden is considering cutting some arms aid to Israel.
- Biden wants to use the weapon as a lever to force Israel to scale back its attacks.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has so far rejected calls from Biden to scale back the offensive in Gaza.
President Joe Biden's patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been running thin in recent months.
Biden has repeatedly called on Netanyahu to show restraint and scale back attacks on Gaza, and to open humanitarian corridors so aid can reach the Palestinians. Biden also called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to plan for a two-state solution after the conflict. Prime Minister Netanyahu publicly rejected all of these demands.
This is an embarrassing situation for the United States, which has supported Israel's military with billions of dollars a year for decades. The continuing conflict is politically dangerous for Mr. Biden, who faces criticism from within his own party and from younger voters for refusing to enforce a ceasefire.
Israel's scorched-earth retaliation for the October 7 Hamas attack has so far killed more than 26,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children. The scale of the destruction has led to global protests and anger against Israel.
So, in order to finally force Netnayahu's hand, the Biden administration is now quietly considering suppressing support, NBC News reported.
Mr. Biden has asked the Pentagon to review the weapons requested by Israel and determine which ones could be used as leverage, four current and former U.S. officials told NBC. According to the NBC report, Israel is demanding not only ammunition, but also aerial bombs and air defense equipment.
Officials told NBC that while providing air defense for Israelis will likely continue, the use of artillery and joint direct attack munitions, which can improve the accuracy of bombs, may be scaled back. Told.
