First appearance on FOXNearly the entire Republican Senatorial Conference came together to condemn President Biden’s administration’s “partial arms embargo against Israel” amid the ongoing war with the terrorist organization Hamas.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) led his Republican colleagues in sharp criticism of the president, saying Biden had “emboldened” Israel’s enemies in the wake of a Hezbollah attack on Israel’s northern border that left 12 children and young adults dead. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) was the only Senate Republican not to sign the bill.
A Hezbollah rocket attack hit a soccer field in northern Israel on Saturday, leaving 29 more children and young people injured in addition to those killed.
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Biden has been criticized for delaying arms deliveries to Israel as it continues its fight against terrorist groups, and is pictured with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Getty Images/File)
In their letter to Biden, Republicans noted that this was “the deadliest single attack in the region since October 7th.”
In May, it was revealed that the Biden administration had withheld 1,800 2,000-pound and 1,700 500-pound bombs from storage after reviewing “proposed transfers to Israel of certain weapons” that could be used in Rafah, Gaza, where the administration was actively thwarting an Israeli ground invasion.
The State Department announced in June that the shipment of the 2,000-pound bomb to Israel was still under consideration.
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This image shows the scene of a deadly Hezbollah rocket attack on a soccer field in the Israeli Druze village of Majdal Shams on July 28, 2024. The attack killed 12 people and injured about 30, with most of the victims being between the ages of 10 and 20. (Erez Ben Simon/TPS-IL)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last month criticized the Biden administration for delays in arms deliveries, saying it was “inconceivable that during the past few months the administration has withheld the supply of arms and ammunition to Israel.”
“Give us the tools and we can get the job done faster,” he urged Biden.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded with President Biden to continue the arms shipments. (Getty Images/File)
“Hezbollah and the Ayatollahs of Iran bear ultimate responsibility for this attack,” the Republican Conference said. “But while it was funded by Tehran and carried out by Hezbollah, your fears of escalation have endangered Israel and emboldened our enemies.”
The senators said the administration’s actions “run counter to a long history of strong military cooperation with Israel and call into question the credibility of the United States as a long-term security partner.”
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They said the delays to arms shipments go against the will of Congress, which earlier this year passed a $95 billion supplemental foreign aid package that included aid to Israel, Ukraine and the Indo-Pacific region.
Senator Tom Cotton led his Republican colleagues in sending the letter. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images/File)
They slammed the president for failing to answer past questions from Congress about arms shipments.
“You have ignored congressional investigations, including Senator Marshall’s May 6, 2024 letter, Senator Ernst’s May 6, 2024 letter, Senator Marshall’s May 6, 2024 letter, Senator Risch’s May 14, 2024 letter, and Senator Cotton’s June 20, 2024 letter,” the Republicans listed.
“Your stalling tactics are endangering our greatest ally in the Middle East and endangering the lives of our American troops stationed in the region,” they warned.
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Finally, Republican senators called on Biden to use all available tools to expedite the physical delivery to Israel of all weapons and ammunition approved by Congress.
The White House and State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Fox News Digital by publication time.
