Netanyahu again says US is holding back weapons days after Washington's denial

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 2 minutes read

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there had been a “dramatic decline” in US arms deliveries for Israel's war effort in Gaza, doubling down on a claim denied by Washington and highlighting growing tensions between the two allies .

Mr. Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that the drop took place four months ago, without specifying which weapons, saying only that “some items arrived sporadically but the munitions in general remained there.”

The row highlights rising tensions between Israel and Washington over the war in Gaza, particularly around the conduct of the Israeli military in the besieged territory and the damage caused to civilian life.

US President Joe Biden has delayed the delivery of some heavy bombs since May over these concerns, but his administration last week hit back at Mr Netanyahu's accusations that other deliveries had also been affected.

Regular protests have taken place in Israel against the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and calling for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by Hamas (Leo Correa/AP)

Mr Netanyahu told the cabinet he was pushed to release an English-language video last week after weeks of unsuccessful pleas to US officials to speed up deliveries. |But he said a resolution seemed close.

“In light of what I have heard in recent days, I hope and believe that this matter will be resolved soon,” he said, without elaborating.

Mr. Netanyahu's video last week sparked an outcry among critics in Israel and was met with denial and confusion from White House officials.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the United States was “perplexed” by Mr Netanyahu’s claims, while press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “We We generally don't know what he's talking about. »

His remarks came hours after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant visited Washington to meet with senior officials. A statement from Mr. Gallant's office said he would discuss “maintaining Israel's qualitative advantage in the region” but made no mention of the weapons issue.

Palestinians gather at the edge of a crater created by an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza (Jehad Alshrafi/AP)

The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, has tested U.S.-Israeli relations like never before. While the United States strongly supports Israel's goals of freeing hostages taken to Gaza and defeating Hamas, it is increasingly concerned about the rising Palestinian death toll and the humanitarian crisis created by the war.

Mr. Biden has felt pressure from progressive Democrats to take a tougher line on Israel, and he has toughened his warnings to Mr. Netanyahu about military tactics in the Gaza Strip .

But after threatening to impose a more sweeping ban on arms transfers following the assault on Rafah, the administration avoided suggesting that Israel's expansion in the southern Gaza city had crossed a line red.

In this election year, Mr. Biden also faces criticism from the right for moderating his support for a key ally in the Middle East.

For Mr. Netanyahu, the growing spotlight on the United States also presents political risks and opportunities.

His critics see the public feuding as the result of a leader willing to destroy important alliances and tarnish Israel's image around the world for political purposes.

But the rift gives the longtime leader a chance to show his base that he is not beholden to the United States and puts Israel's interests first.