Top White House officials are mulling whether to include more Ukraine aid in an emergency aid package for Israel, multiple news outlets reported on October 9, with one official even hinting that the decision would compel “far-right” lawmakers to approve additional aid for the Kyiv regime.
Although President Joe Biden had already declared that military aid was “on its way” to Israel following the unexpected assault by radical Palestinian militants on October 7, the White House has indicated that it would soon petition Congress to authorize additional aid for the Jewish state.
Lawmakers in both the Republican and Democratic parties as well as senior administration officials have indicated that the aid package could also entail provisions for Ukraine, according to unidentified sources who revealed details to The Washington Post, NBC News, and as other outlets.
One unnamed official told the Post that such a decision would be wise as it “jams the far right,” alluding to Republicans who back Israel but disapprove of continued assistance to Ukraine. White House spokesman John Kirby, for his part, refrained from stating if both aid packages would be connected, instead declaring that “we believe both are important.”
Israel is among the largest beneficiaries of U.S. foreign aid, receiving some $3.3 billion in American tax dollars in 2022 alone, based on U.S. government statistics. Since its conflict with Russia intensified in February 2022, Ukraine has also become a key recipient, with the White House green-lighting at least $45 billion in direct military aid via 47 distinct transfers.
Both Republicans and Democrats have articulated their support for Israel after the lethal and surprise Hamas attack last weekend, which has led to a fierce retaliation by Israel Defense Forces (IDF), including a harsh Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Thousands of people have been killed on both sides of the conflict thus far, while Hamas fighters claim to have captured more than 100 Israeli and foreign hostages during their attacks.
Thousands of Israelis and Palestinians have fled their homes due to the deadly assaults, while the IDF has summoned at least 300,000 reservists in preparation for a larger conflict. Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that his country was in a state of “war” as events developed, positing on October 9 that Israel’s military response was “just getting started.”
Although debate over the aforementioned aid packages would likely be heated, the Pentagon has maintained that it has plenty of arms for all U.S. partners.
Washington can fulfill all of Israel’s requests for arms, equipment, and ammunition while continuing to back Kyiv, a Pentagon spokeswoman declared.
During a briefing on October 9, a senior defense official revealed to reporters that Washington could “continue our support both to Ukraine, Israel, and maintain our own global readiness.”
“While we are providing and will continue to provide a significant amount of support to Ukraine, we are careful about ensuring we can also respond to other crises and contingencies, support other partners and maintain our own military readiness and our ability to support others,” the official elaborated.
The United States has been able to cater to “every request that our Israeli counterparts have made” and expect “continual delivery” on some of those requests, the official mentioned.
While refraining from more elaboration on the matter, the spokesperson admitted that U.S. aid did apply to “Iron Dome” systems and other air defenses.
The Pentagon is “working as fast as possible” to accelerate the delivery of “critically needed” ammunition and equipment, as well as pushing military contractors to fulfill Israeli orders.
When reporters raised fears about how U.S. arms might be used, the Pentagon official said there were “robust end-use monitoring practices and procedures” in place, and that the United States was “in constant dialogue with the Israelis about their operational plans.”
U.S. cargo planes have already begun arriving in Israel, even as the Israeli government declared a “total siege” of Gaza in retaliation for Hamas attacks. The conflict, which began on October 7, is the bloodiest that Israel has witnessed since 1973.
Besides, the Pentagon has characterized the mobilization of the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean as “an unequivocal demonstration in deed and not only in words of US support for Israel’s defense.”
The carrier is meant to “serve as a deterrent signal to Iran, Lebanese Hezbollah, and any other proxy across the region who might be considering exploiting the current situation to escalate conflict,” a spokesperson declared.
In a Telegram post on October 9, former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev asserted that the arms which Kyiv’s Western supporters have provided to Ukraine have landed up in the hands of Hamas militants and are now “being actively used in Israel,” indicating that any future military equipment supplied to Kyiv could find its way to the black market as well.
“It will only get worse from here,” Medvedev cautioned, predicting that countries should “expect missiles, tanks, and even planes from Kyiv on the black market soon.”
Medvedev’s statements came in wake of speculations that Hamas militants that dominate the Gaza Strip had procured some U.S.-made arms before their assaults on Israel. While no tangible evidence verifying these allegations have surfaced thus far, an unauthenticated video circulating online depicted a Palestinian militant showcasing assorted U.S.-made weapons, including a standard-issue M136 anti-tank grenade launcher, while expressing his gratitude to Ukrainians for the arms.
Based on Medvedev’s calculations, “corrupt authorities” in Ukraine would not hesitate to trade everything they had received from their Western supporters.
“They would steal everything in sight,” the former Russian leader insisted, adding that Western arms deployed to Ukraine would soon spark conflicts in other parts of the world, just as the collection of arms Americans left behind in Afghanistan during their quick withdrawal from the country in 2021.
Washington has been Kyiv’s largest provider of military aid since the start of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, channeling a total of $46.6 billion into military aid to Ukraine, including direct weapons and ammunition shipments, as well as grants and loans for weapons and equipment.
For its part, Kyiv has constantly faced allegations of misusing or selling off Western arms, claims which it has staunchly denied.
