The Biden administration turned up the volume on tensions in U.S.-Israeli relations on Thursday, as the defense secretary publicly acknowledged that President Biden’s decision to delay the delivery of heavy bombs was linked to Israel’s plans for a major offensive in the town of Rafah, in the Gaza Strip.
Secretary of State Lloyd J. Austin III told a Senate committee that the United States had made it clear “from the beginning that Israel should not launch a major attack against Israel.” Rafah without considering or protecting the civilians who are in that battle space, and again, as we assessed the situation, we suspended a shipment of high payload munitions.
While the president and other administration officials have publicly criticized Israel’s conduct of the war for months, they have often done so in quiet terms, reserving the harshest assessments for private conversations. Mr. Austin’s comments on Wednesday constitute the most direct public statement yet that disagreement carries consequences and a signal of the kind of leverage the United States can use to influence Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza.
The United States and hundreds of other allies have warned that a widespread attack in Rafah could lead to a humanitarian disaster for thousands of displaced Gazans living in tents and temporary accommodation. On Monday, Israeli tanks and troops made an incursion to take control of the border crossing with Egypt.
While the scale and timing of their plans remain unknown, Israeli officials have downplayed any dispute with the United States over weapons and the war in Gaza, while continuing to negotiate a possible ceasefire that could lead to upon the return of captured Israeli hostages. during the attack carried out by Hamas in October.
Experts on U.S.-Israeli relations say the pause in munitions deliveries, confirmed Tuesday by the White House, shows the alliance has reached a significant rift, with other ruptures likely to occur at the same time. decline in American public support for the Israeli war effort.
“It’s pent-up frustration on Biden’s part that finally came out,” Chuck Freilich, a former deputy national security adviser to Israel, said Wednesday. “The administration is walking a tightrope between its very strong support for Israel and domestic pressure. »
This week in particular, two opposing elements of President Biden’s approach to military support for Israel are converging and competing for global attention.
By approving new U.S. aid involving weapons and equipment worth $827 million – as well as a strong speech against anti-Semitism at a Holocaust memorial ceremony – President Biden made clear that he remained deeply committed to Israel.
At the same time, he signaled that there were limits to American aid and patience, suspending delivery of the heaviest munitions – 1,800 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 500-pound bombs – fearing to prevent them from being used in a possible large-scale assault. on the town of Rafah, south of Gaza.
In their public comments, Israeli officials have mostly favored long-term support for America and ignored the pause in arms deliveries.
Speaking at a conference hosted by a local newspaper on Tuesday evening, the army’s chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, described coordination between Israel and the United States as reaching “reach unprecedented,” while insisting that any disagreements were handled “in secret.” “doors.”
Dodging questions about expressing U.S. frustrations and the potential risk to future arms shipments, he stressed the importance of day-to-day coordination and “operational assistance.”
Israel has a vast arsenal to draw on and many options on how to proceed in Gaza that would not necessarily include the bombs that Washington has delayed, military analysts said.
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, said the U.S. decision was motivated by growing U.S. frustration with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as pressure from some congressional Democrats to monitor take a closer look at the use of American weapons by Israel. And, he added, it was an attempt to warn Israel that more consequences could be coming.
“The logic behind this is a warning: If you don’t get your act together, many more obstructions could arise,” Mr. Pinkas said.
Aaron Boxerman reports contributed.
