The Biden administration last week put a hold on a shipment of U.S.-made ammunition to Israel, two Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: It is the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that the U.S. has stopped a weapons shipment intended for the Israeli military. The incident raised serious concerns inside the Israeli government and sent officials scrambling to understand why the shipment was held, Israeli officials said.
President Biden is facing sharp criticism among Americans who oppose his support of Israel. The administration in February asked Israel to provide assurances that U.S.-made weapons were being used by Israel Defense Forces in Gaza in accordance with international law. Israel provided a signed letter of assurances in March.
If true that’s an encouraging development, but I’m withholding judgement until it’s confirmed as true and the reasons behind it are revealed. Whether it’s part of a larger message about offensive aid in relation to Israel continuing to signal an imminent large ground invasion of Rafah, or one of the baby steps of sanctioning individual military units, or if it’s just some logistical holdup.
If it’s anything but the latter the administration really needs to work on their public messaging. Even if you’re playing hardball behind the scenes to reduce harm, continuing with the public line of “We support whatever Israel does 100% of the time every time.” makes anything else ring hollow.