Q: How will this impact the efforts to reach a Suadi-Israeli normalization deal? "
"The Saudis have been entertaining the idea of a grand deal between the United States and Israel, with a defense agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United States This decision is going to make it harder for Saudi Arabia. Countries like Saudi Arabia have to rethink whether or not they want to put themselves in the position that Israel is in a position in which the Biden ministration is basically through weapons delivery trying to micromanage you might have against radical extremist that surrounds you. What we're saying is that withholding weapons to Israel will be seen by Iran and Hamas as a breakdown in the relationship over time, they believe they are now winning."
What should Israel do in light of this decision? "Israel needs to be respectful of the United States but not stop the war for one single second, but seek the destruction of Hamas earlier rather than later. Don't be locked into actions that will prolong the war. Let the Biden administration know that you're going to do it anyway. Do whatever it takes to get the hostages back. The administration wants to micromanage the tactical positioning of the war and says to Israel 'Fight it our way.' To which I say to Israelis the response to Biden should be 'Don't.'"
Q: How will the halt in weapon shipments hurt the US image around the world and the Middle East? "It reinforces a narrative that we're an unreliable partner and nobody wants to march on an uncertain trumpet. If we withhold weapons from Israel, it makes our problems as a nation worse regarding our standing in the world. People begin to wonder – Saudi Arabia, should you do a deal with the United States? Does it mean if I do a deal with the United States they're gonna take over my national security? It makes China more likely to invade Taiwan when they see us acting indecisive to one of our best allies in the world."
Video: PM Netanyahu speaks during the Holocaust Remembrance Day on May 5, 2024
Graham stressed that Israel enjoys overwhelming support in the US. "The American people are with you. Do not doubt for one moment that most Americans see your fight and struggle for survival against Iran, and Hezbollah as our fight because the same people would kill us if they could. I can promise you that Republican senators have your back and that there are still many Democrats who believe Israel has the right to destroy Hamas sooner rather than later. I've been working in a bipartisan way on this issue."
He said that he hoped the administration would reverse its stance once the State Department made it clear Israel was not in violation of human rights in its troops' conduct.
"I'm hoping that they will conclude that you have not violated international law. If that's the case, maybe we can get the weapons issue behind us," Graham said. He emphasized that the IDF was doing everything it could to avoid harming civilians while Hamas hides among the civilian population to attack Israelis. "We did not provide water and food to the Japanese and the Germans during World War II, and such an idea would not have been well received then," he stressed.
The way Graham sees it, Biden was eying the base when he made the decision. "I think the motivation behind this is domestic political purposes. He has a problem here at home he's trying to solve through actions taken against Israel trying to change the military positioning of Israel for domestic political purposes ... I think most Americans are gonna see this as another sign of equivocation. The average American picked Israel over Hamas by 80%."
