Senior security officials are concerned over the possibility that the US will slow down arms shipments to Israel in light of the growing tension between the two governments on the war effort in the Gaza Strip, Israel Hayom has learned.
Video: Israel army conducting high-precision operation inside Gaza's Shifa hospital, says spokesman / Credit: Reuters
According to sources familiar with the details, since the start of the war, there has been no slowdown in arms shipments, but in recent days concerns have grown about their supply amid the harsh exchanges between senior Biden administration officials and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the sources, the US could ostensibly conduct business as usual, but in practice slow down shipments by creating many bureaucratic hurdles without explicitly saying it was delaying deliveries.
Since the beginning of the war, more than 300 planes and about 50 ships carrying munitions and military equipment, containing about 35,000 tons of weapons systems, munitions, and other arms, have arrived in the country.
A small portion of the shipments have from several countries around the world, but the main supplier was and remains the United States. The arms shipments and the clear US support for Israel have allowed the IDF to fight in Gaza for the past five months while maintaining readiness for war in the north.
The security establishment's concern on this issue has grown in recent days amid what appears to be a policy shift in the White House, which is trying to create a distinction between its support for the State of Israel and its citizens and its backing of Netanyahu's government.
Several days ago, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said that Netanyahu "has lost his way and has put himself into a coalition with far-right extremists like Bezalel Smotrich and Ben Gvir," and called for new elections in Israel. Schumer later got support from Biden, who said he "gave a good speech."
Netanyahu responded in the American media and Sunday by stressing in the cabinet meeting that "in the international community there are those who are trying to stop the war now before all its goals have been achieved. They are doing this through an effort to bring about elections now, in the midst of the war."
In a not-so-veiled jab at the US, he added: "To our friends in the international community I say – is your memory so short? Have you so quickly forgotten October 7, the most horrific massacre perpetrated against Jews since the Holocaust?"
The dispute between the sides revolves around several issues, but according to sources familiar with the matter, the main reason for the escalating rhetoric is a complete lack of trust between the Biden administration and Netanyahu's government. The sides disagree, among other things, on the issue of humanitarian aid to the strip. The Democratic administration has long demanded expanding humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, but this has been met with Israeli pushback. There are also those in the administration who believe the Israeli government has not lived up to its promises on the matter.
Israel tried to stand its ground, some would argue not forcefully enough, but the turning point in its approach came about two weeks ago. An IDF spokesperson released a video to refute Palestinian claims regarding a massacre of Gazans searching for food, when in fact they were run over and trampled in a stampede toward supply trucks. The video refuted the claim that IDF soldiers fired at the Gazans, but some in the world argued that it was evidence of the dire humanitarian situation in the strip.
That incident led the Americans to effectively bypass Israel and announce airdrops and sea landings of humanitarian aid. The US position forced Israel to effectively submit to its dictates: To allow the construction of a pier on the Gaza coast (something that constitutes an achievement for Hamas, which previously demanded a port for the strip), and to allow countries in the Middle East and beyond to bring in tons of their own supplies.
Despite Netanyahu's words, Israeli officials understand that they must maintain US support, and cannot continue fighting in Gaza and prepare for war in the north without US arms shipments.
Therefore, Israel will cooperate with the move, and secure the vessels arriving in the strip and the construction of the pier.
Israel not only depends on the supply of US arms shipments, but also on its support at the UN through the use of its veto in the Security Council, and on exerting pressure on Qatar and Egypt to in turn pressure Hamas in favor of a hostage deal.
At the same time, Israel is also pinning hopes on the American envoy Amos Hochstein, who is trying to bring about a softened version of UN Resolution 1701 in the northern arena – an agreement that would distance Hezbollah from the border and perhaps allow residents to return to their homes without war. However, there are those in Israel who believe that implementing Resolution 1701 will not be enough, as after many months the residents of the north will not agree to rely on international assurances, and will demand the threat be removed by force of arms.
