Middle East conflict
US Senator: Netanyahu basically shows Biden the middle finger
One of the Democrats’ critics of US military aid to Israel: Chris van Hollen. photo
© Michael Brochstein/ZUMA/dpa
In the USA, domestic political pressure is growing on President Joe Biden to adjust his course with a view to the Gaza war. Criticism also comes from within your own party.
US Senator Chris van Hollen has the President’s Middle East policy Joe Biden and the attitude of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were sharply criticized. “We have a situation in which Netanyahu is basically giving the middle finger to the President of the United States,” said the Democrat on ABC. “And we’re sending more bombs. That doesn’t make any sense.” Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, but the partnership with the USA should not be a one-sided blank check with American tax money.
In return, clear demands must be made and more help for the civilian population in the Gaza Strip must be made a condition, demanded the senator from the US state of Maryland. “It needs to be said, ‘hey, we have demands: Don’t let people starve,'” he said. According to international experts, there is a risk of famine in the north of the sealed-off coastal area. Biden must follow up his recently more critical words towards Israel’s government with action, the senator demanded of his party colleague.
Van Hollen is one of the Democrats’ critics of US military aid to Israel. Today he repeated the statement that the Israeli government is actively blocking humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population in violation of international law. The United Nations and aid organizations also accuse Israel of preventing sufficient aid deliveries to Gaza. Israel denies this accusation.
Domestically, pressure is growing on the Democrat Biden over his dealings with Israel. The US government recently intensified its criticism of Israel on several channels, for example with the urgent warning about Israel’s planned ground offensive in the city of Rafah. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have sought protection there because of the Gaza war. At the same time, the Washington Post recently reported, citing unnamed officials in the Pentagon and the US State Department, that Washington continues to provide billions of dollars in arms aid to Israel.