Political leaders Thursday reaffirmed Israel's determination to eliminate Hamas and secure the return of hostages held by the terror organization after US President Joe Biden threatened to withhold weapon shipments if the IDF entered Rafah.
"Israel will continue to fight Hamas until its destruction. There is no more just war than this," Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted. His fellow Likud lawmaker Dudi Amsalem warned "whoever kills Jews will die," suggesting Israel would press forward undeterred.
While not commenting officially, Netanyahu tweeted his speech from Yad Vashem from a few days earlier in which he vowed that Israel would fight Hamas without bowing to any external pressure.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 9, 2024
Opposition leader Yair Lapid urged the government to prioritize "victory over Hamas and the return of the captives" and criticized what he said was the presence of extremist ministers, such as National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Video: Graham questions US pause on weapons to Israel / Credit: Reuters
"If Netanyahu does not fire Ben-Gvir today, he is putting every IDF soldier and every citizen in the State of Israel at risk," Lapid declared.
Ben-Gvir, in turn, suggested that Biden's decision would be favorably received by Hamas, tweeting the words "Hamas loves Biden" using the heart emoji.
Amid the rhetoric affirming Israel's commitment, an unnamed senior official has urged intensifying military operations to conquer Rafah, an operation considered vital to eliminate Hamas and ensure the return of the hostages. Speaking to Israel Hayom, the official said there is cabinet consensus on expanding into Rafah.
"Beyond the operational aspects, Israel must do this to show the Biden administration and the international community that we are not an American protectorate, but an independent state," the official argued, saying it would demonstrate Israel can manage militarily without US assistance if needed.
The official assessed Israel had prepared for such a scenario by ensuring independent ammunition production capabilities. He warned, however, that Biden's decision could escalate tensions with Hezbollah as it would send a message that Israel was weak.
"The main damage from Biden's decision will be suffered by the president himself – politically within the US and to the US standing in the world due to harming its ally," the senior official concluded.
At home too, Biden was met with criticism. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said the decision was akin to "Hiroshima and Nagasaki on steroids."
"If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price. This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can't afford to lose," he said.
