Netanyahu Demands White House Give Him Tools to ‘Finish the Job’ in Gaza

 

Israeli PM tells Secretary of State Antony Blinken it is “inconceivable” the US would withhold arms from Tel Aviv as it “fights for its life”

by Kyle Anzalone June 18, 2024 at 12:25 pm ET 

CategoriesNews

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a scathing video blasting the White House for holding back weapons shipments to Israel. Washington has blocked one transfer of 2,000-pound bombs but has overwhelmingly provided all the arms requested by Tel Aviv. The PM demanded the US supply the tools Israel needs to “finish the job a lot faster” in the Gaza Strip.

 On Tuesday, Netanyahu posted the video to his X account. Speaking in English, the PM said “When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation. I said I deeply appreciate the support the US has given Israel from the beginning of the war. But I also said something else. I said it is inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunition to Israel.”

In late April, the White House decided it would suspend the shipment of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns about civilian deaths in Gaza. However, President Joe Biden suggested that he would cut off additional arms transfers if Israeli forces proceeded with a full-scale invasion of Rafah. Over a month after that assault began, Biden has failed to follow through on his supposed red line.

According to Netanyahu, the White House will likely reverse course on its vow to scale back this military aid. “Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these blocks. I certainly hope that is the case. It should be the case,” he explained in the video.

The Israeli leader concluded his message by demanding Biden remove all restrictions on weapons so he could quickly wrap up operations in Gaza. “In WWII Churchill told the US, ‘Give us the tools we’ll do the job.’” He added, “And I say, ‘give us the tools and we will finish the job a lot faster.’”

Throughout the latest conflict with Hamas, top Israeli officials have repeatedly invoked allied war crimes committed during the Second World War in cities like Dresden, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki to justify the onslaught in Gaza.

Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.

https://news.antiwar.com/2024/06/18/netanyahu-demands-white-house-give-him-tools-to-finish-the-job-in-gaza/