Congressional Republicans are criticizing President Joe Biden over his decision to withhold certain bomb shipments to Israel, but such a move is not unprecedented, as they argue. do not have.
Foreign policy experts told ABC News that past presidents, including Republican ones, have withheld aid to send a clear message to Israel and other allies.
However, Michael Sullivan, an adjunct professor at Georgetown University, said the risk of civilian casualties, coupled with the dispute between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over plans for a large-scale invasion of Rafah, and the political instability in the United States. , said his actions carried greater risks. Diplomatic school.
“This is all part of security cooperation,” Sullivan said. “At the end of the day, the president has the right to use every tool in his toolbox.”
Sullivan, a retired U.S. Army colonel involved in U.S. arms transfers, said President Ronald Reagan and George H.W. He pointed out that the government had stopped providing assistance.
In the summer of 1981, President Reagan delayed the delivery of American fighter jets to Israel for two months after Israel bombed a nuclear reactor in Iraq.
In July 1982, he halted shipments of cluster munitions to Israel because of how Israel used them during its invasion of Lebanon. At the time, U.S. officials were considering whether the use of the weapon violated an agreement between the United States and Israel.
In March 1992, President Bush postponed a $10 billion loan to Israel, citing concerns about Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Professor Sullivan said that because the Middle East conflict was not as front and center in foreign policy as it is today, there was less domestic and international political criticism of Presidents Reagan and Bush’s aid suspensions.
“Even when there were rifts, there was a clear understanding of U.S. and Israeli foreign policy, and everyone moved forward,” he said.
Sullivan said many factors involved in the current conflict, including increased political polarization in Washington, create a different environment for the president and greater scrutiny.
The Biden administration announced last week that it was putting a hold on a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel, citing concerns about the attack on Rafah and the threat to the more than 1 million Palestinian civilians sheltering there.
Biden told CNN on Wednesday that Israel has used U.S. weapons to kill civilians in its war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
“We’re not supplying the weapons that have historically been used to deal with Rafah, to deal with cities,” Biden said.
The president and other White House officials have emphasized their determination to support Israel.
“Even if we disagree, my commitment to the safety of the Jewish people, the security of Israel, and our right to exist as an independent Jewish state is ironclad,” Biden said Tuesday in a speech at a memorial service at the U.S. Holocaust Museum. ” he said.
Several Senate Republicans, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, slammed Biden’s move.
Graham said Israel was fighting a “just war” and making efforts to warn civilians before attacks.
“Israel is fighting for its life, and the reason so many Palestinians are being killed is because Hamas has its headquarters in the basement of a hospital,” the South Carolina senator said at a press conference along with nine Republicans. I think we shouldn’t reward their actions.” colleague.
Sullivan said the Republican opposition not only ignores the precedent set by previous administrations regarding U.S.-Israel policy, but also ignores a basic understanding of presidential authority when it comes to foreign relations.
“I really think this is a political issue and everyone is looking for an advantage in an election year, but at the end of the day, President Biden is the commander in chief and he has no “We have the legal right to stop military shipments,” he said.
Mr. McConnell and other Republicans also accused Mr. Biden of bowing to pressure from pro-Palestinian protesters across the country who are calling for a ceasefire and the withdrawal of universities from Israel because of civilian deaths.
Sullivan said it was unclear how much the protests influenced Biden’s decision, and that it was likely driven by growing concerns about Rafah in particular.
“We are close to a ceasefire and have repeatedly appealed to Israel not to enter Rafah because of the humanitarian crisis. Right now, the timing is right to send that message,” he said. .
Sullivan stressed that Biden’s actions do not stop military aid to Israel and that Israel still has enough firepower to defend itself or launch an attack on Rafah.
White House National Security Council Press Secretary John Kirby did not provide a timeline for how long the cargo hold would last, saying Thursday that “a lot of it depends on what Israel is doing in Rafah and “I think it will depend on the plans in place,” he said. ”
Sullivan said it was difficult to predict the short-term consequences of Biden’s actions given the volatility of the situation.
”[Biden] “And the administration needs to know that its decisions, whether political or military, come at a cost.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that Israeli forces were still working on the Rafah invasion.
But Sullivan said the U.S. arms suspension would still impact Israeli operations, and predicted other similar suspensions were being considered.
“At this point, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has every right to disagree and do what he wants, but he understands that if the United States doesn’t agree, there’s carrots and sticks.” Ta.
ABC News’ Alison Pechorin and Connor Finnegan contributed to this report.
