Biden Accused of Hypocrisy for Withholding Weapons from Israel

Republicans are pushing legislation to impeach Biden over his decision to withhold some weapons shipments to Israel, accusing him of hypocrisy after Biden himself criticized Trump for withholding aid to Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has come under fire from Republicans for his decision to withhold some weapons shipments to Israel, with some accusing him of hypocrisy after Biden himself criticized former President Donald Trump for withholding aid to Ukraine.

Biden's decision stems from his objection to Israel's military campaign in Gaza against Hamas, a militant group that controls the territory. Biden has said that he supports Israel's right to defend itself, but that he is concerned about the potential for civilian casualties in Gaza.

Republicans have accused Biden of putting his own political interests ahead of the national interest, and have compared his actions to Trump's withholding of aid to Ukraine in 2019. Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress related to his dealings with Ukraine, though he was acquitted by the Senate.

Rep. Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, said on Fox News that the GOP is taking action against Biden over his stance on Israel's war against Hamas.

"The president is withholding weapons shipments to Israel, and that's a dangerous thing to do," Nunn said. "Israel is our ally, and they need our support now more than ever."

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., has filed articles of impeachment against Biden over the issue.

"In violation of his oath to faithfully execute the office of President and to uphold the Constitution, President Biden abused the powers of his office by soliciting a 'quid pro quo' with Israel while leveraging vital military aid for policy changes," Mills said in a statement.

Some Democrats have also criticized Biden's decision, including Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y.

"It looks like election year politics was driving it," Torres said. "That's my impression."

The White House has defended Biden's decision, saying that it is not about withholding aid, but rather about ensuring that Israel gets every dollar appropriated in the supplemental.

"Trump failed to spend dollars appropriated by Congress that he was legally required to spend," a White House official said. "This is about a purchase made by a foreign government using its own funds, not funds appropriated by Congress, and our decision whether to deliver that purchase right now, which could enable an operation we’ve publicly and privately objected to."

The Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan office that analyzes U.S. policy, has said that the Arms Export Control Act of 1961 "prohibits the sale or delivery of U.S.-origin defense articles if the President finds that a recipient country has used such articles for unauthorized purposes."

The debate over Biden's decision is likely to continue in the coming weeks, as Congress considers the articles of impeachment filed by Mills.