Netanyahu reiterates claims that US is withholding arms shipments as Democrats struggle to attend his congressional speech

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to double down on his claim that the United States had withheld arms deliveries for Israel's war effort in Gaza, although the Biden administration has denied the claim.

On Sunday, Netanyahu told his cabinet that there had been a “dramatic decline” in U.S. weapons about four months ago, without specifying which weapons. He said only that “some items arrived sporadically but munitions in general remained on site.”

The comments come just days after he released an English-language video last week following what he said were weeks of unsuccessful pleas to U.S. officials to speed up deliveries.

“In light of what I have heard in recent days, I hope and believe that this matter will soon be resolved,” he said on Sunday, without elaborating.

A White House official told CBS News on Sunday that the administration has “made our position on this topic clear on several occasions and that we are not going to continue to respond to the prime minister's policy statements.” We look forward to constructive consultations with the Minister of Defense in Washington this week. “.

Netanyahu's video last week sparked an outcry among critics in Israel and was met with denial and confusion from White House officials.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby said last week that the United States was “perplexed” by Netanyahu's claims.

“No other country has done, and will continue to do more than the United States, to help Israel defend itself,” Kirby said.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “We really don't know what he's talking about. »

White House denies withholding weapons from Israel, calls Netanyahu's claims disappointing 02:58

A U.S. official told CBS News this week that Netanyahu's remarks in the video are apparently based on Israeli Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi's belief that the U.S. slow Israel down on less expensive items like aircraft spare parts.

However, the official insisted there had been no such delay, with the exception of the dispatch of 2,000-pound bombs, which were about to leave by ship from a depot of weapons from the East Coast when delivery was interrupted in early May.

The United States has examined a shipment of 2,000- and 500-pound bombs since May. As Israel prepared for a major offensive in Rafah, the Biden administration suspended the shipment because, as President Biden said in an interview last month, “civilians were killed in Gaza as a result of these bombs.

“I am not providing the weapons that were historically used to confront Rafah,” Mr. Biden said. However, the administration said the United States would continue to support Iron Dome, the system that protects Israel from rocket fire, and ensure that Israel is able to “respond to attacks” coming from the Middle East. The Pentagon says the United States continued to send weapons to Israel in the weeks after shipments were paused in May.

The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas' attack on southern Israel on October 7, has tested U.S.-Israeli relations like never before. While the United States strongly supports Israel's goals of freeing hostages taken to Gaza and defeating Hamas, it is increasingly concerned about the rising Palestinian death toll and the humanitarian crisis created by the war.

Congressional Democrats waver on address

Netanyahu is scheduled to address U.S. lawmakers on July 24 and Democrats are considering whether they will attend. Many are torn between their long-standing support for Israel and their anguish over the way Israel has conducted its operations in Gaza.

The last time Netanyahu addressed the US Congress nine years ago, 60 Democrats skipped his speech, calling it a slap in the face to then-President Barack Obama as he negotiated a nuclear deal with the 'Iran.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before a joint meeting of Congress at the Capitol in Washington on March 3, 2015. J. Scott Applewhite / AP

While some Democrats say they will do so out of respect for Israel, a larger and growing faction wants no part of it, creating an extraordinarily charged atmosphere at a gathering that normally amounts to a ceremonial, bipartisan show of support for an American ally.

House Speaker Mike Johnson's invitation to Netanyahu came after consultation with the White House, a person familiar with the matter who was granted anonymity to discuss the sensitive issue told The Associated Press. So far, no meeting between Biden and Netanyahu during his visit to Washington has been planned, this person said.

Netanyahu said in a statement that he was “deeply moved” by the invitation to address Congress and the opportunity “to present the truth about our just war against those who seek to destroy us to the representatives of the American people and the whole world.”

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who opposed an invitation to the prime minister in 2015, said it was a mistake for congressional leaders to extend it again this time.

“I think it's going to spark more of what we've seen in terms of discontent among our own people,” she recently told CNN.

The Associated Press reported that interviews with more than a dozen Democrats revealed the extent of discontent over the upcoming speech, which many view as a Republican ploy intended to divide their party.

Some Democrats say they will be there to express support for Israel, not Netanyahu. Others said they were waiting to see if Netanyahu will still be prime minister when he is scheduled to address Congress.

Netanyahu's visit is expected to spark significant protests, and some members of Congress are considering an alternative event.

Clear signs of discontent in Israel

Netanyahu's government is a coalition that includes right-wing hardliners who oppose any settlement with Hamas.

Benjamin “Benny” Gantz, a former military leader and centrist politician, withdrew this month from Netanyahu's war cabinet, citing frustration with the prime minister's conduct of the war. On Monday, Netanyahu dissolved this body. Meanwhile, a growing number of critics and protesters in Israel have backed a ceasefire proposal that would bring home hostages taken by Hamas.

Demonstrators protest against the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and call for the release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the militant group Hamas, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, June 22, 2024. Leo Correa / AP

For Netanyahu, rapprochement with the United States also presents political risks and opportunities. His critics see the public feuding as the result of a leader willing to destroy important alliances and tarnish Israel's image around the world for political purposes.

But the rift gives the longtime leader a chance to show his base that he is not beholden to the United States and puts Israel's interests first.

Israel and Hamas at war

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