A bill that would compel President Joe Biden to provide weapons to Israel was passed on Thursday by the Republican-led House of Representatives in an effort to criticize the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments while pressuring Israel to take additional precautions to safeguard civilians during its conflict with Hamas.
By a vote of 224 to 187, the Israel Security Assistance Support Act was passed mainly along party lines. Three Republicans voted against the bill, joining the majority of Democrats in opposition, while sixteen Democrats voted in favor of it.
Although it is unlikely to become law, the act’s passage highlighted the stark differences in American opinion surrounding Israel policy during election season. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration is working to eradicate the militants who attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli figures.
According to Palestinian sources, Israel’s war in Gaza has resulted in at least 35,272 civilian deaths. A large portion of the people in the coastal enclave are homeless, there is rampant malnutrition, and the infrastructure has been damaged.
Republicans said that after seeing massive pro-Palestinian demonstrations, Biden had abandoned Israel.
“This choice has disastrous ramifications for the entire world. We cannot allow this to continue, since it is clearly being done as a political calculation,” Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson stated on Wednesday at a news conference alongside other party leaders.
Republicans, according to Democrats, are misrepresenting Biden’s stance on Israel and are engaging in political posturing.
At a press conference prior to the vote, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries stated, “It is not a serious effort at legislation, which is why some of the most pro-Israel members of the House Democratic caucus will be voting no,”
Even with the Biden administration’s examination of other weapons shipments and the suspension of one shipment of 2,000-pound (907-kg) and 500-pound bombs, Israel—a significant recipient of US military aid for decades—is still scheduled to receive billions of dollars’ worth of US weapons.
According to American sources, the State Department as recently as Tuesday shifted a $1 billion package of arms aid for Israel into the congressional review process.
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