BluePerspectives

Senator: White House Not Seeking Conditions On Military Aid To Israel, Despite Earlier Biden Comment

Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, told lawmakers that there are no conditions attached to U.S. military aid to Israel.

 Jake Sullivan, a national security adviser, has informed lawmakers that the White House is no attempting to impose restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Israel. The White House is no attempting to impose restrictions on U.S. military assistance to Israel, according to national security adviser Jake Sullivan. 

Jake Sullivan, the White House’s national security adviser, told lawmakers that there are no conditions attached to U.S. military aid to Israel.

 

LOADINGERROR LOADING. WASHINGTON (AP) — National security adviser Jake Sullivan told lawmakers this week that the White House is not seeking to place conditions on U.S. military assistance to Israel, days after President Joe Biden signaled openness to the notion that was being pushed by some Democrats as the civilian death toll in Gaza from Israel’s war against Hamas climbed.. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who was among the senators who met privately with Sullivan on Tuesday, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Sullivan “made it clear that the White House is not asking for any conditionality in aid. So I want to leave that very clear.” A second person directly familiar with the meeting confirmed the account.. Advertisement. Sullivan met with about a dozen Democratic senators to discuss their questions about how the administration would ensure that any U.S. weapons provided to Israel are used in accord with U.S. law. The meeting was held via a teleconference in which Sullivan was at the White House and senators were in a classified room on Capitol Hill. It came as some progressive lawmakers concerned about the civilian toll have suggested that the U.S. place conditions on the types of military assistance and how it could be used by Israeli forces against Hamas targets.. Last week, Biden told reporters that conditioning military aid to Israel was a “worthwhile thought.” But he suggested that had he done so earlier, it would have been more difficult to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas.. Van Hollen, who has been one of the most vocal senators raising concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, also noted that Biden has been pushing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in private, noting to him the rising humanitarian concerns among lawmakers who would otherwise be allies of Israel.. “The fact is that the president — in his conversations with the prime minister — has pointed to the fact that lots of friends of Israel on Capitol Hill are very concerned about the very high, unacceptably high levels of civilian casualties and the lack of more cooperation on the provision of humanitarian aid,” Van Hollen said. “So our concerns have been communicated and useful, I think, to the president.”. Advertisement. US President Joe Biden speaks to reporters before boarding Air Force One at Pueblo Memorial Airport in Pueblo, Colorado, on November 29, 2023, as he travels back to the White House in Washington, DC. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP) (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images). ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS via Getty Images. Van Hollen, D-Md., had spearheaded a letter signed by a majority of Senate Democrats earlier this month asking the administration how it would ensure Israel’s use of weaponry complied with American law.. He and two other senators — Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, and Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed, D-R.I. — raised the issue again in a new statement Wednesday after their meeting with the White House, pointing to signals from the Netanyahu government that it intends to spread its ground offensive from north to south Gaza when the current cease-fire ends.. The White House had showed signs of edging away from Biden’s comment on possibly conditioning future Israel military aid earlier this week. Asked directly on Monday if Biden was considering conditioning aid, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby appeared to hedge.. “What he also said, right after acknowledging that it was ‘a worthwhile thought,’ was that the approach he has chosen to take so far has produced results and outcomes,” Kirby said.. Advertisement. He added: “The approach that we’re taking with Israel and, quite frankly, with our partners in the region is working. It’s getting aid in to people that need it. It’s getting a pause in the fighting. It’s getting hostages out. It’s getting Americans out.”. ___. AP writers Zeke Miller, Aamer Madhani and Ellen Knickmeyer contributed to this report.. Support HuffPost. The Stakes Have Never Been Higher. At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.. Our News, Politics and Culture teams invest time and care working on hard-hitting investigations and researched analyses, along with quick but robust daily takes. Our Life, Health and Shopping desks provide you with well-researched, expert-vetted information you need to live your best life, while HuffPost Personal, Voices and Opinion center real stories from real people.. Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.. At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.. Help keep news free for everyone by giving us as little as $1. Your contribution will go a long way.. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. A vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why HuffPost’s journalism is free for everyone, not just those who can afford expensive paywalls.. We cannot do this without your help. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.. As the 2024 presidential race heats up, the very foundations of our democracy are at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a vibrant democracy is impossible without well-informed citizens. This is why we keep our journalism free for everyone, even as most other newsrooms have retreated behind expensive paywalls.. Our newsroom continues to bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes on one of the most consequential elections in recent history. Reporting on the current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly — and we need your help.. Support our newsroom by contributing as little as $1 a month.. Support HuffPost. Related. IsraelHamaspresident joe biden

 

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