The Biden administration told Congress it would lift sanctions on military sales to several Middle Eastern countries, a day before President Biden vowed that the United States would not provide offensive support to Israel if it invaded Rafah.
Some of these countries are accused of playing an active role in the proliferation of Hamas and other terrorist organizations aimed at erasing Israel from the map.
The State Department on Tuesday sent a notice to Congress extending existing sanctions waivers for Lebanon, Iraq, Kuwait, Yemen, Libya, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia until April 30, 2025, according to a copy of the notice obtained Friday by Fox News Digital. Sent to.
In a CNN interview aired Wednesday night, Biden issued a do-or-die ultimatum to the Israeli government, which is preparing for a ground invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The city is home to more than 1 million Palestinians who have left other parts of the Gaza Strip, where Israel has carried out a mission to eradicate the terrorist group Hamas.
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President Biden is facing bipartisan backlash for drawing a red line on offensive support for Israel if it invades Rafah. (Getty Images)
President Biden said in a CNN interview that Israel will continue to see U.S. support for its defense systems like Iron Dome. But he added: “If they go into Rafah, I will not supply them with the weapons that have historically been used to deal with Rafah, to deal with the city, to deal with that problem. ” he added.
But the documents show that a day earlier, the administration appears to have secretly approved the sale of “defense articles or services” to countries the United States had previously accused of engaging in anti-Israel boycotts.
Under current law, the president may grant a waiver to Arab states boycotting Israel if the waiver is “in the national interest of the United States” and if the U.S. deems the waiver “for the purpose of eliminating Arab League boycotts.” Sanctions exemptions may be established and extended.
The notice was first reported by the Washington Free Beacon.
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IDF forces prepare in southern Israel near the Gaza border in preparation for a ground offensive in Rafah, the southernmost city of Gaza, on May 1, 2024. (Noam Shah/TPS)
Lebanon is home to the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which also claimed credit for a rocket attack on Israel on Friday, according to AFP news agency.
In a State Department notice, the Biden administration acknowledged that Lebanon has engaged in an active boycott of Israel since June 1995, but cited “the U.S. threat to Lebanon’s stability and sovereignty” as the reason for the sanctions waiver. It is in the U.S. national interest to extend the waiver to facilitate assistance.” and efforts to reduce the influence of violent extremists in Lebanon and strengthen the capacity of Lebanon’s security institutions. ”
In Yemen, where Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been wreaking havoc in the Red Sea for months in retaliation for Israel’s invasion of Gaza, the Biden administration said it would “continue to work with the government and in its national security interests.” “There is a need for exemption from sanctions.” Yemen needs to counter regional threats, especially the Houthis. ”
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Houthi supporters participate in a rally in Sanaa, Yemen, on March 8. (AP/Osama Abdulrahman)
Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state on the list, has been home to top Hamas leaders, including leader Ismail Haniyeh, for more than a decade. The arrangement, although at the request of the United States, has recently come under criticism following the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. Qatar is also playing an active role in ceasefire negotiations.
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The State Department said Qatar’s sanctions waiver “underscores the strength of our bilateral relationship, which is critical to maintaining regional security, and that U.S. officials continue to work closely with the Qatari government to preclude further boycott calls.” It makes it possible.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the State Department for comment.
