Nearly 90 parliamentarians in the ranks of American Democrats urged President Joe Biden on Friday, May 3, to consider interrupting his arms sales to Israel if the Israeli government does not change its war against Hamas.
Elected officials share their “grave concerns about the conduct of the war in Gaza by the Israeli government with regard to the deliberate withholding of humanitarian aid”, in a letter signed by 88 members of Congress delivered to the White House. Restrictions imposed by Israel on the delivery of humanitarian aid supported by Washington to Gaza “contribute to an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe”says the letter.
The signatories, including many elected representatives of the House of Representatives, ask the president to make it clear to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that any obstacle to the delivery of aid to Gaza “jeopardizes its eligibility for new offensive security assistance from the United States”.
Joe Biden criticized for his unconditional support
However, they specify that Israeli anti-missile defense systems, such as the Iron Dome, must be excluded from this possible suspension of American aid. “We continue to strongly support providing life-saving defensive funding to Israel”warns the letter.
Among the signatories of the letter are Democrats who are members of the Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives. Since the start of the war in Gaza, triggered by the unprecedented attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7, 2023, Joe Biden, in the midst of his campaign for his re-election to the White House, has been criticized for his unconditional support for Israel.
