Biden receives criticism from both parties in Congress for his ultimatum to Israel

President Joe Biden is facing intense backlash from lawmakers in both parties over his ultimatum that a major Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah would result in a shut-off of some US weapons. Biden’s decision to make this ultimatum public during an interview with CNN’s Erin Burnett has sparked criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.

Republican Senator JD Vance of Ohio criticized the decision, stating that withholding precision-guided weapons could actually increase civilian casualties. The US is also reviewing the potential sale or transfer of other munitions to Israel, including Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits. However, these transfers are not imminent and would occur in the future.

President Biden’s announcement marked a turning point in US-Israeli ties since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began seven months ago. Despite warnings to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden signed off on a pause of 3,500 bombs to Israel to prevent civilian casualties in Rafah.

The backlash against Biden’s decision has not only fallen along party lines. A group of 26 House Democrats expressed concern over the message being sent to Hamas by withholding weapons shipments to Israel. However, Democratic Representative Adam Smith clarified that only certain weapons, like 2,000-pound bombs, were being withheld to prevent their use in Rafah.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated that the US believes Israel has killed more civilians than Hamas terrorists in Gaza and called on Israel to do more to mitigate civilian deaths. The State Department released a report acknowledging that US weapons may have been used by Israeli forces in ways inconsistent with international humanitarian law.

Overall, Biden’s ultimatum has sparked a heated debate among lawmakers on the best approach to the conflict in Gaza and the US-Israel relationship.