Sen. Lindsey Graham Criticizes Biden's Stance on Withholding Weapons from Israel

President Joe Biden has warned Israel that the United States will cease providing certain weapons if the Israeli military proceeds with plans to invade the Palestinian city of Rafah, currently controlled by Hamas militants. The President's remarks, made in an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett, have drawn sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers.

"Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told Burnett. "I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven't gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem."

The President's comments came amid heightened tensions between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that governs the Gaza Strip. Israeli officials have hinted at a possible ground invasion of Rafah, a city near the Egyptian border considered a stronghold for Hamas.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina lambasted Biden's stance, accusing the President of abandoning a key U.S. ally.

 Sen. Graham said, “You're saying, 'Hamas has put Palestinians in the crosshairs of Israel, so stand Israel down?' That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard... That is ass backwards.”

"This is heartbreaking, it is as dangerous as pouring gasoline on a fire," Graham said on an earlier interview on Fox News. "And every problem we had in the Mideast just got worse. This is a nightmare for Israel to be abandoned by their best friend in the world."

Graham, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, urged Israel not to cede control of the conflict to Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, warning that such a move would mirror the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Why It Matters:

The President's threat to withhold weapons from Israel over the potential Rafah invasion could significantly strain the long-standing alliance between the United States and Israel. It also raises concerns about the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, particularly regarding efforts to broker a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Key Takeaways:

• President Biden warned Israel that the U.S. would cease providing certain weapons if Israel invades the Palestinian city of Rafah.
• The President cited concerns over civilian casualties from Israeli strikes on population centers in Gaza.
• Republican Senator Lindsey Graham harshly criticized Biden's stance, accusing the President of abandoning a key U.S. ally.
• Graham urged Israel not to cede control of the conflict to Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
• The President's threat could strain U.S.-Israel relations and impact broader U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.