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Republicans support '51st state' Israel in lockstep as Biden turns on Netanyahu saying his approach is 'losing support' and change is needed to protect civilians

1 year ago 26

While Joe Biden has insisted Israel must tone down its civilian killings or risk losing global support, Republicans are standing in lockstep with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war against Hamas in Gaza

Top House Republicans who spoke with DailyMail.com this week scoffed at Biden's humanitarian concerns regarding the killing of civilians in Gaza - as some Democrats demand putting conditions on any further U.S. aid. 

Until recently, Biden had shown airtight support for Israel's offensive - drawing criticism from progressives and losing Arab support, according to polls. 

But this week - he told Israel's Netanyahu to reel it in. 

During a campaign reception on Tuesday Biden said Israel is losing support due to its 'indiscriminate bombing campaign' and claimed its current government does not want a two-state solution. 

Biden speculated that Israel must 'strengthen and change' its government in order to maintain backing across the world. 

'Why he says outlandish things like that is beyond me. But who's Netanyahu losing support from other than Joe Biden?,' Texas GOP Rep. Roger Williams told DailyMail.com. 

'I support Israel. I think it's like our 51st state.' 

While Joe Biden has insisted Israel must tone down its civilian killings or risk losing global support, Republicans are standing in lockstep with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war against Hamas in Gaza 

'Netanyahu needs to defend his nation. He needs to do what is necessary for the region,' said Rep. Gary Palmer, R-Ala., policy chair of the GOP conference. 

A senior U.S. official said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan made clear in Israel this week that Netanyahu needs to wrap up his nation's bombing campaign on Gaza in 'weeks not months.' 

Israel lost some 1,200 when Hamas launched an attack on October 7. 

Some 18,400 Palestinians have been killed in the aggressive and bloody campaign to wipe out Hamas, according to the Hamas-linked Gaza Health Ministry. 

'It's not a time for equivocating,' Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said. 

He called Biden 'pretty damn arrogant' for 'telling Israel how he thinks Gaza should be run afterward.' 

Biden and Netanyahu clashed this week over who should rule the war-torn Palestinian territory once Hamas is eradicated. 

The White House thinks Netanyahu should allow the Palestinian Authority to take over. Netanyahu rejects that - claiming the PA 'finance[s] terrorism.' But Israel does not have a clear plan on who should rule the territory.   

Last month the House passed a $14 billion aid package for Israel that was offset by IRS cuts that killed it in the Democratic-led Senate. Talks in the Senate are now focused on packaging together Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan aid and border security provisions - but there's no guarantee such a sprawling bill could pass both chambers.

This picture shows the damages following Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on December 13, 2023, as battles continue between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas

'It's not a time for equivocating,' Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., said.

'Biden's comments are dangerous,' said Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont. 'And he is again trying to create a narrative of propaganda to undermine Israel's ability to protect your own country.'

'For the leader of the free world to criticize them,' said Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., 'He's totally tone-deaf.'

Only Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., seemed to suggest the U.S. should be involved in helping to minimize civilian casualties in the Middle Eastern conflict. 

On Friday the Israeli Defense Force took out some of its own, accidentally killing three hostages it had mistaken for militants. 

'Israel has an absolute right to not only defend itself, but seek out those who murdered more than 1,200 Israeli and American citizens,' he said, but it needs to do so 'in a way that not only wins the war, but wins the peace - that has to be the common goal.' 

'The extent that we can work with Israel to make their effectiveness better with less collateral damages, we all have an obligation to do so,' he went on. 'It's not just making the statement publicly, it's bringing what we learned in Afghanistan and Iraq over 20 years to bear.'

'We can't just tell them to stop - we have to find ways to minimize the impact to innocent people,' he said. 

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