TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his cabinet on Sunday that there had been a “dramatic drop” in US arms supplies for Israel’s war effort in Gaza, doubling down on a claim the Biden administration has denied and underscoring growing tensions between the two allies.
Netanyahu told his cabinet that the drop had taken place four months ago, without specifying which weapons. He said only that “certain items arrived sporadically, but ammunition generally remained.”
The row highlights how high tensions have risen between Israel and Washington as a result of the war in Gaza, especially around the behavior of the Israeli army in the besieged area and the damage to civilian life there. President Joe Biden has delayed deliveries of certain heavy bombs since May over these concerns, but his administration fought back last week against Netanyahu’s accusations that other shipments were also affected.
Netanyahu told the Cabinet he was forced to release a video in English last week after weeks of failed pleas to US officials to speed up deliveries. He said a solution seemed close.
“In light of what I have heard over the past day, I hope and believe that this matter will be resolved quickly,” he said, without elaborating.
Netanyahu’s video caused an uproar among critics in Israel last week and was met with denial and confusion from White House officials. White House national security spokesman John Kirby said the US was “stunned” by Netanyahu’s claims. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: “We generally don’t know what he’s talking about.”
His comments came hours after Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant traveled to Washington for meetings with senior officials. A statement from Gallant’s office said he would discuss “maintaining Israel’s qualitative advantage in the region” but made no mention of the weapons issue.
The war in Gaza, sparked by Hamas’s October 7 attack on southern Israel, has tested the US-Israel relationship like never before. While the US has staunchly supported Israel’s goals of freeing hostages taken to Gaza and defeating Hamas, it has become increasingly concerned about the rising Palestinian death toll and the humanitarian crisis created by the war.
Biden has felt pressure from progressive Democrats to take a tougher stance on Israel, and he has stepped up his warnings to Netanyahu about military tactics in the Gaza Strip. But after threatening to impose an even more sweeping ban on arms transfers following an attack on Rafah, the government has avoided any suggestion that Israel’s growing attack on the southern Gaza city has crossed a red line.
In an election year, Biden also faces critics from the right who say he has moderated his support for a vital Middle Eastern ally.
For Netanyahu, increasing daylight with the US also brings political risks and opportunities. His critics see the public rows as the result of a leader willing to destroy key alliances and tarnish Israel’s image in the world for political gain.
But the rift gives the long-serving leader a chance to show his base that he is not beholden to the US and that he puts Israel’s interests first.
