President Joe Biden’s Ultimatum: Israel’s Gaza Actions Spark US Policy Reevaluation

EKO HOT BLOG reports that US President Joe Biden had been urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to protect Gaza civilians for months, but a pivotal phone call on April 4 led to a direct link to the US decision to pause some military aid to Israel.

Biden gave Netanyahu an ultimatum: protect citizens and aid workers or face changes in US policy.

This call marked a turning point, as Biden had not previously threatened to hold back assistance despite increasingly tense conversations.

The US withheld a shipment of heavy bombs, citing concerns over Israel’s slow-rolling assault in Rafah, where Washington opposes a major invasion without civilian safeguards.

Biden publicly addressed the weapons pause, stating that civilians had been killed in Gaza due to Israeli actions.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin hinted that more weapons could be withheld.

This move is seen as a ratcheting up of pressure on Israel, signaling that the US does not support the Rafah operation.

While not as severe as President Ronald Reagan’s 1982 ban on cluster bomb sales to Israel, it marks a significant shift in US-Israel relations.

The public nature of the move could work in Biden’s favor, sending a message that the US will not provide unconditional aid.

Biden’s Republican opposition has been critical, accusing him of undermining Israel’s security.

However, Biden’s administration believes keeping Netanyahu close allows for greater influence.

Netanyahu’s defiance of Biden’s advice on Rafah has tried Biden’s image as a foreign policy expert, increasing pressure at home.

The US has stressed the need for a plan to minimize harm to civilians in Rafah, but Israel has not provided a credible plan.