Biden’s decision to suspend bomb deliveries to Israel is significant but symbolic | Sandra Cohen’s blog

In an interview with journalist Erin Burnett, from CNN, Biden carefully measured his words separating Israel’s offensive against civilians from the security of Israelis: “I made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet that they will not have our support if, in fact, they attack these population centers. We do not distance ourselves from Israel’s security. We have distanced ourselves from Israel’s ability to wage war in these areas.”

In this struggle, both Biden and Netanyahu are trying to calm their bases: the most left wing of American Democrats, who despise the president’s support for Israel in the war in Gaza; and the far-right radicals who support the Israeli prime minister in his crusade to stay in power.

Netanyahu cannot do without the support of fundamentalist ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Together, they hold 14 seats out of their fragile majority in the Israeli Parliament and threaten, every other day, to abandon the prime minister if he accepts a ceasefire in Gaza.

Biden’s support for the Israeli military campaign created significant obstacles to his re-election campaigntranslated into protests that follow him at election events, on college campuses and even at his home in Delaware.

Other American presidents have threatened to condition military aid to Israel. In the 1980s, during the invasion of Lebanon, Ronald Regan suspended a weapons shipment and the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to the country. During his term, Bush Sr. threatened to suspend a US$10 billion package to the country if the construction of settlements continued in Palestinian territories.

Based on the furious reaction of Israeli authorities to the decision of the current American government, the Army must move forward, making it clear that the Israel Defense Forces do not depend on this supply to invade Rafah, where 1.5 million Palestinians live. Biden was called a friend of Hamas by Netanyahu’s firebrand partnersas well as former President Donald Trump, his main opponent in the race for the White House.

The American president’s message, however, was given to the Israeli prime minister, along with the Rare admission that American bombs killed Palestinian civilians. It should serve, at least, to readjust the foundations of the deep relationship between the two countries.