- "We urge you to use every available emergency authority to expedite the physical delivery of all weapons and ammunition to Israel that have been approved by Congress," the senators wrote. "Your administration must stop accommodating Iran and its terrorist allies now."
Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd, R-NC, along with 46 Republican Senate colleagues, recently sent a letter to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris calling to lift the administration’s partial arms embargo against Israel. This follows their resolution in May condemning the Biden Administration for withholding aid to Israel.
According to Monday’s press release, Hezbollah’s July 27th attack with Iranian missiles on Israeli-occupied Golan Heights prompted the letter. The missiles hit a football field and killed 12 people, including children, and was reported to be the deadliest attack on Israel or any Israeli-annexed territory since October 7th.
The October violence by Hamas left more than 1200 Israelis dead and 253 people remain hostages, including Chapel-Hill native Keith Siegel.
These reports are barbaric. Whether true or psychological warfare, Hamas is solely to blame for the ongoing holding of 8 Americans and 115 total hostages.
We must fully #StandWithIsrael and #BringThemHomeNow. https://t.co/mYJoJzViZP
— Senator Ted Budd (@SenTedBuddNC) August 13, 2024
Hezbollah denies responsibility for the July attack.
“The Islamic Resistance has absolutely nothing to do with the incident and categorically denies all false allegations in this regard,” Hezbollah said in a statement according to a Reuters report.
In May, the Biden Administration issued a partial arms embargo against Israel when an Israeli invasion of Rafah, a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip, was looming. Rafah was invaded later in May. On May 24th, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to cease its military offensive against Rafah.
“We write once again to protest your administration’s partial arms embargo against Israel,” wrote the senators in the letter. “The actions of the Biden-Harris administration run counter to our long history of robust military cooperation with Israel and cast doubt upon the reliability of the United States as a long-term security partner. Your actions also violate the will of Congress as expressed in the recent supplemental that funded emergency military support to Israel.”
The letter cites multiple previous congressional inquiries that have not been answered.
“You ignored Congressional inquiries, including a May 6, 2024, letter from Senator Marshall, a May 6, 2024, letter from Senator Ernst, a May 14, 2024, letter from Senator Risch, and a June 20, 2024, letter from Senator Cotton.”
The letter also outlines the specific munitions to Israel that the Biden Administration has delayed despite approval from Congress, including ammunition, light tactical vehicles, air-to-air missiles, F-15s, F-35 engines, joint direct attack munition kits, 2,000 pound bombs, and rifles.
“We urge you to use every available emergency authority to expedite the physical delivery of all weapons and ammunition to Israel that have been approved by Congress,” the senators wrote. “Your administration must stop accommodating Iran and its terrorist allies now.”