American Jews warn Biden: Arms embargo 'emboldens' Hamas, Iran

American Jewish organizations issued a series of rebukes against President Joe Biden over his decision to withhold arms from Israel on Thursday, warning that the move would embolden shared enemies such as Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas.

While some left-wing and progressive organizations backed Biden, normally diplomatic non-partisan groups had harsh criticism for the president's decision not to supply "the weapons that have historically been used to deal with Rafah.”

“We’re not walking away from Israel’s security. We’ve walked away from its ability to make war in those areas," Biden said during a CNN interview. “We are going to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks like came out in the Middle East recently.”

The Jewish Federations of North America said that while the Jewish community appreciated support for Israel since October 7, such as last month's security aid package, the move "emboldens Hamas and other Iran-backed forces in the region, encourages their delay tactics, and endangers the hostages by weakening Israel’s negotiating hand at a critical juncture."

"In threatening to withhold military aid from Israel, President Biden is wrong," said the Federations.

The Federation criticized Biden's claim that “Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers.”

"Israel is fighting an existential war against a terror army that has entrenched itself in a civilian population," said the Federations. "Israel has always and will always take enormous care in its military actions to protect the civilian population, but the only way to stop the killing of innocent people in Gaza is to defeat Hamas."

The comments only served to reenforce the narratives of "anti-Israel and antisemitic extremists" at the campus encampments, said the Federations.

Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations William Daroff and chair Harriet Schleifer also said in a join Thursday statement that his "counterproductive" remarks and public rebuke "serves to fuel domestic antisemitism as well and will likely invigorate the divisive, vitriolic rhetoric we see on many college campuses today."

Against America's interests

“It is contrary to the American national interest to deny Israel the munitions and support needed to remove Hamas from power in the Gaza Strip permanently.  Withholding security assistance and support from Israel would send a dangerous message to Iran and all its regional proxies and would undermine the confidence our allies place in commitments by the United States,' said the Conference leaders. “The United States must stand with Israel and should commit to providing the support necessary to end the threat to international security posed by the Hamas terror army.”

The Antidefamation League said the move undermined the US's ally "while energizing Hezbollah and Iran, who specialize in toxic antisemitism and rabid anti-Zionism."

We are deeply alarmed by indications of US delays and possible curtailment of weapons for Israel. This move undermines our ally Israel, fails to put pressure on Hamas and emboldens terror while energizing Hezbollah and Iran, who specialize in toxic antisemitism and rabid…

— ADL (@ADL) May 9, 2024

"The only way to end this conflict is clear: Hamas must release the 132 hostages and disarm today," said the ADL.

Bnai Brith International also said that peace and stability  in the region would come about with the defeat of Hamas, and withholding aid would endanger that objective. The move would not just embolden Israel's enemies, it would send "exactly the wrong message to America’s allies."

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement that Hamas was responsible for the conflict and its perpetuation, which continued to endanger Israeli and Palestinian lives. To protect these civilians, Deutch said that the US had to continue working with Israel.

"President Biden should not take steps that could impair Israel’s ability to prevent Hamas from attacking it again and again -- as its leaders have promised," said Deutch. "Over the past week, Hamas has stolen humanitarian aid from Palestinians and fired rockets from Rafah at a humanitarian zone, killing four Israelis and preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza. With thousands of Hamas terrorists still in Rafah, Israel must be able to prevent 10/7 from happening again."

The Israeli-American Council said on Friday morning that it was "appalled by this betrayal of America’s closest ally in its hour of urgent need."

"Israel has prosecuted its war against Hamas with remarkable precision and restraint, achieving collateral casualty ratios so low as to be unprecedented in the history of urban warfare," said IAC. "If the United States refuses to supply certain weapons, Israel will have the right under the law of armed conflict to use its available munitions, including those potentially less precise and more destructive, to achieve its military objectives. That may well mean a dramatic increase in collateral casualties, which America’s embargo would render permissible under international law."

IAC called on the White House to "stop toying with the future of the Jewish people," and fulfill previous commitments to Israel. 

Stop Antisemitism and International Legal Forum argued that Biden had reneged on his "ironclad" support for Israel and was putting Jews at risk for another Holocaust, just days after Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee issued a flurry of statements following Biden's comments, backing politicians that denounced the arms embargo.

"At a time when Hamas still holds American hostages, Biden’s decision undermines Israel at the negotiating table, is a gift to Iran & their terrorist proxies, & sends a terrible message to our allies," AIPAC said while sharing the statements of US Congresspeople. "Congress must demand the Biden Admin[istration] reverse this delay and ensure Israel has what it needs to win this war."

The Republican Jewish Coalition said that Biden was "effectively siding with Iran and its terrorist proxies over Israel. This is an unprecedented, shameful, and despicable betrayal of a key ally and vital security partner at the worst possible time.

"History will judge Biden harshly for this dereliction of responsibility to our friend and partner Israel," said  RJC National Chairman Senator Norm Coleman and CEO Matt Brooks, calling for the return of former president Donald Trump to the White house. "We have a president who has caved to the worst elements in society in an attempt to salvage a flailing re-election campaign. Pro-Israel Americans know that Joe Biden has failed miserably to stand with our ally and keep the United States safe."

The Jewish Democratic Council of America, in contrast, said that Biden continued to demonstrate a commitment to Israel's security and self-defense, but made it clear that the president would not allow operations against the Hamas stronghold of Rafah, which would endanger over a million Gazan refugees and civilians.

J Street also said that it supported Biden's halting of munitions transfers as a "measured step" to "signal deep concerns over the potential of a full-scale Israeli assault on the city of Rafah.

"We urge President Biden and Congress to take all necessary steps to dissuade Prime Minister Netanyahu from moving forward with a full-scale invasion of Rafah, which would risk the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians and jeopardize efforts to secure a bilateral ceasefire and hostage release," said J Street.

The Biden administration's comments were not just with criticism by cultural and political Jewish groups, but also religious organizations.

Agudath Israel of America said that it was troubled by the president's decision, which was not just limited to large munitions but also smart bombs that were essential in reducing civilian casualties. It was "insufficient" to only allow the parrying of "an incessant stream of rockets."

"Reasonable minds can differ on military strategies. We also recognize the President's record of support for Israel and commitment to combat antisemitism," said Agudath. "But by publicly creating a rift with Israel in its hour of need instead of casting full-throated blame on the terrorists who brutally initiated the war and vow to repeat it, continue to hold hostages, have refused countless negotiations for peace, and for whom employing human shields is a sick military strategy, the United States is endangering Israel and providing oxygen to antisemites worldwide."

Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Rabbi Moshe Hauer said that despite Biden's comments on Holocaust Remembrance Day recognizing the need to defeat Hamas and the fears of American Jews, his recent threats "would tie Israel’s hands, give Hamas leverage and hope, and – by perpetuating the false narrative of Israel 'going after population centers' - provide more oxygen to that vicious hate afflicting American Jews."

"Mr. President, we need your support to ensure that Israel is not alone, and that American Jewry is not alone."