Senate Republicans have accused President Biden and Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, of emboldening Iran ahead of its recent attacks on U.S. ally Israel.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told Fox News Digital, “Instead of supporting our ally Israel, the Democratic Party is supporting the radical left who hate Israel and actively support Hamas and Iran. We are focusing on appealing to that demographic.”
“To appease his base, Joe Biden gave the go-ahead.” $100 billion flows to Iran. “Iran used that money to build drones and cruise missiles to attack Israel. In a very real sense, Joe Biden financed Iran’s attack on Israel,” Cruz said. Told. The Democratic Party’s position on Israel and Iran is as indefensible as it is illogical. ”
13 Democratic Party votes against resolution condemning Iran after attack on Israel
Iran directly attacked Israel over the weekend, firing hundreds of drone strikes as well as a barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles. With US military support, Israel has been able to intercept almost all incoming drone and missile attacks.
President Biden, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and the entire Democratic Party are accused of emboldening Iran and wavering support for its ally Israel. (Getty Images)
Iran has previously been involved in attacks against Israel through proxies in countries such as Syria and Yemen. Launching an attack from within your own country marks a major escalation from a proxy war to a direct attack.
“Since October 7th, Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer have sought to undermine Israel at every opportunity,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said in a statement to FOX News Digital. “Whether on the battlefield, at the United Nations, or in Congress, they are more interested in pleasing the pro-Hamas wing of their own party than in helping their greatest ally in the Middle East.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) pointed to Democrats’ stance on Israel in a statement Saturday, saying, “Iran and its proxies are emboldened by the division between the United States and Israel. We are releasing it,” he said.
Ahead of the attack, Biden hardened his stance on Israel fighting Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In a phone conversation this month, Biden told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that “U.S. policy on Gaza will be “The decision will depend on Israel’s immediate assessment of the measures taken.” House. The call came in the wake of a strike in Israel that led to the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen aid workers.
Last month, in a floor speech, Schumer called on Israel to hold an election to replace Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying that Prime Minister Netanyahu was “coordinating with far-right extremists” and “taking too strong a stance of condoning civilian casualties.” and provoked the ire of Republicans. Gaza. ”
“If Prime Minister Netanyahu’s current coalition remains in power after the war begins to wind down and continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing U.S. aid standards, the U.S. We will have no choice but to take a more active role in shaping ‘usage of our power to change Israeli policy and change current policy,’ Schumer said.
Anti-missile systems were activated after Iran launched a drone and missile towards Israel, seen from Ashkelon, Israel on April 14, 2024. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
Prior to his floor speech, Schumer requested a briefing on the classified information he regularly receives on the status of hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Sources said the press conference made it clear that Schumer’s speech would not disrupt the ongoing hostage negotiations.
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However, the official could not say whether any hints about Iran were made during the meeting.
Prime Minister Schumer’s office also pushed back against the claims, with press secretary Alison Biasotti saying in a statement: “Prime Minister Schumer is committed to the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security and to deterring Israel’s enemies like Iran.” We have made it clear that this is the best way to do so.” The House should quickly pass additional bipartisan legislation. More than $17 billion is urgently needed for Israel’s defense and U.S. operations against the Iranian-backed invasion of the Red Sea, which Schumer has already passed in the Senate. ”
The majority leader’s office said the attack on Israel was a response to Israel’s recent attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus, Syria, adding that Iran and Israel continue to have a long-standing conflict .
But one Democratic aide said some senators in the party are concerned that Democrats’ growing stance on Israel could give the impression to Iran that U.S. support for the ally is wavering.
Sen. Tim Scott, R.S.C., accused Biden of trying to “walk the tightrope of appeasing the party’s increasingly radical base while defending mainstream American support for Israel.”
“The problem is that the president is not walking a tightrope. He is trying to straddle the Grand Canyon,” he said in a statement.
Israel’s advanced military technology on full display during Iranian attack
Biden had warned that an attack on Israel by Iran was imminent. (Getty Images)
In a statement to Fox News Digital, White House press secretary Andrew Bates pushed back on criticism of Biden’s stance on Israel and denied claims that he encouraged the attack on Iran.
“Former Trump administration officials and Fox News’ own reporting exposed those lies,” he said.
“President Biden is the only U.S. president to directly defend Israel, as he ordered the U.S. military this past weekend,” Bates said. “He is also the only American president to set foot in Israel during wartime, in support of our nation’s resolute commitment to Israel’s security. Unlike other presidents, he He has not criticized Israel or praised Hezbollah in the days since.
Meanwhile, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) criticized Democrats, pointing to recent efforts to force a vote on a unilateral support bill for Israel in the Senate.
“This week, Senate Democrats once again blocked immediate aid to Israel following the senator’s comments. [Roger] Marshall and I requested a vote in favor of the Confederacy. “The left would rather play politics to appease the socialist base,” she told FOX News Digital in her statement.
“It is clear that the Biden administration and leader Chuck Schumer are refusing to support our most important allies in the Middle East,” Blackburn continued.
Sens. Roger Marshall and Marsha Blackburn tried to force a vote on a standalone Israel aid measure. (Getty Images)
Two Democratic Congressional aides told FOX News Digital that the Iranian attack was expected. They said intelligence suggests the attack was in response to the April 1 attack on the consulate that killed Iranian commanders.
Nevertheless, the scale of Iran’s attack and its direct targeting of Israel shocked many observers.
Senate Democrats opposed two requests for unanimous consent to vote on different versions of unilateral support for Israel. But most Democrats maintained support for a foreign aid package that tied aid to Israel and aid to Ukraine.
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McConnell last month called Schumer’s call for a new Israeli election hypocritical, grotesque and “unprecedented.”
“Don’t get me wrong, there are no antis in the Democratic Party.[Netanyahu] problem. We have an anti-Israel problem,” Republican leaders said in remarks on the floor at the time.
