May 9, 2024

"If we have to fight with our fingernails, then we’ll do what we have to do."

From "Biden-Netanyahu rift causes ‘tremendous anger’ in Washington/US fears its goals for Gaza — freeing hostages and aiding Palestinians — do not align with Israeli PM’s desire for political survival and an invasion of Rafah" (London Times):
Biden has reiterated that America’s support to Israel remains “ironclad”, but has warned Jerusalem against a full-scale land invasion of Rafah, fearing it would lead to a civilian bloodbath. Israel insists that the operation will go ahead and is necessary to find and kill the architects of the October 7 attacks.

It then emerged that the US paused a shipment of weapons to Israel last week, consisting of 1,800 2,000lb bombs and 1,700 500lb bombs. The reaction from Jerusalem was swift. “If we have to fight with our fingernails, then we’ll do what we have to do,” a senior government official told Reuters.

On Wednesday Biden doubled down in an interview with CNN, saying for the first time that he would halt shipments of American weapons if Netanyahu went ahead with the operation. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah … I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — that deal with that problem,” he said.

66 comments:

gspencer said...

“'I made it clear that if they go into Rafah … I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with . . . that problem,” [Biden] said."

When do you think Biden first uttered the Shahada?

https://www.britannica.com/topic/shahadah

Rusty said...

Why do we have to insert ourselves into every squabble the rest of the world gets itself into?

Kevin said...

Ironclad.

You keep reading that word off your teleprompter. I do not think it means what the people who put it there think it means.

Duke Dan said...

The polling from Michigan must be real bad.

Leland said...

Remember when we told Presidents could not put a quid pro quo on Congressional approved aid. Yeah, we knew it was bullshit then.

Michael said...

Oh, Biden and The Swamp will just divert some of those Ukraine bombs to Israel. All on the QT of course

EdwdLny said...

Heh, imagine that, joey bidet doing the bidding of the iranian terrorists. If he's not fellating the chicoms he's doing the iranians ,just like a good little fascist twat. What a fucking pig. But, then it is day that ends in y. In his world if he can't fuck over American citizens an Israeli is next best.

tim maguire said...

Biden's policies blow with the wind. Red lines, ironclad this and that. One way that he is like Clinton is that he won't so much as walk to the bathroom without checking the polls first.

If he has to rebuild Auschwitz himself to win Michigan, he'll do it.

tommyesq said...

freeing hostages and aiding Palestinians — do not align with Israeli PM’s desire for political survival and an invasion of Rafah

Note the phrasing - Biden is "freeing" and "aiding," while Netanyahu is all about crass "political survival" and "invasion." Also, it is "invasion of Rafah" and not "freeing of hostages" or "taking down terrorist group that slaughtered more than 1000 Israelis."

Breezy said...

The Israeli PM’s goals are clearly laid out - none of which are “political survival” and “invasion of Rafah”. The goal is eliminating Hamas, the last remaining of those happen to be in Rafah. This article lede is BS. And Biden is pathetic, with a small p.

tommyesq said...

When Trump threatened to withhold aid to Ukraine (at a time when Ukraine was not at war), he was impeached.

Sally327 said...

How useful would those bombs have been anyway for the kind of military operation being contemplated? It seems like this was a move intended more for domestic political reasons than because it will have any significant effect on what Israel does or doesn't do in Rafah. If the US really wanted to stop Israel it seems like there would be far more effective steps it could make.





ASRKC said...

During the Trump administration, the Democrat-led House of Representatives impeached President Trump for pausing, for a short time, a shipment of weapons to Ukraine two years before their current war. Israel, which is larger than Connecticut but smaller than Massachusetts, is currently fighting an organization intent on destroying it. The precedent has been set, President Biden, by his action, should be impeached.

But, of course, he won't be. It is the Republicans who are the institutionalists intent on protecting the processes of American government, not intent on the chaos the Democrats seem to relish.

The current Democratic party needs to reform itself.

Iman said...

Some Democrats are slowly coming to the realization that POTATUS Biden is a perfidious, backstabbing S of a B.

The planet will be improved when HamAss is gone. They asked for it. Give it to them.

Iman said...

Give it to these pricks with extreme prejudice. Stop coddling Iran, Democrats.

mindnumbrobot said...

This should surprise nobody. The radicals running the WH were never going to support Israel and they can't lose MI, so under the bus go the Jews. Anyway, there's no need to waste valuable smart bombs when dumb bombs will suffice. If the death cult in Gaza doesn't care if their children die, why should Israel?

https://tinyurl.com/5fj4tx4c

Rafe said...

ASRKC beat me to it but it bears repeating:

Wasn’t Trump impeached for this very thing?

I can only conclude from this betrayal of a critical ally that Biden is evil and self-serving, and anyone who supports him are as well.

- Rafe

BG said...

Somebody tell whoever is running the country (and Biden) that Israel isn’t Ukraine.

Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...

Obama hates Jews and Israel. there's that.

Dave Begley said...

I love Bibi’s toughness.

MadTownGuy said...

The Israelis could hire some goy pilots to fly an airlift of swine in parachutes to run the streets of Gaza. Haram from above.

Mark said...

Of course, if the GOP wasn't filled with isolationist America First Trumpists who whined and cried about the Israel funding that just passed Congress, the House could immediately file and pass articles of impeachment for Biden's refusal to spend the funds just appropriated.

That's the problem. Too often these types are no different than the Dems.

NKP said...

Why do we have to insert ourselves into every squabble the rest of the world gets itself into?

If you're the Big Dog, you gotta 'BE' the Big Dog. If not, some of the other dogs will take notice.

Iman said...

Ken Gardner
@KenGardner11

“Pretty soon a lot of people are going to conclude that voting Republican in November will be the only way to save Israel. Whatever trust people had in Democrats to support Israel is rapidly dissipating.”

Robert Cook said...

"Why do we have to insert ourselves into every squabble the rest of the world gets itself into?"

Because we see ourselves as the de facto "ruler" of the world. Not through overt dictatorial power, but through a combination of bribes, deal-making, promises of eternal support (military, money, etc.), possession of or control over essential resources, and force. Rule via empire. We play global chess with the goal of aggrandizing our power and wealth. We bribe and buy when we can, and we employ force or threat of force when it seems suitable or is our only option, (and just to remind everyone of our violent power). Our 70-year empire game is getting old and creaky, and we refuse to recognize it will eventually fail, and is failing, that cracks are already spreading through our would-be global empire.

gilbar said...

one of these days, the US will wake up and notice that world's
* computers come from China
* EV's come from China
* windmills come from China
* oil comes from Russia and Iran
* food comes from Brazil

What does america have to offer the modern world?
What does america produce?
WHY should america continue to exist?
The news is: in a short time.. It WON'T

West TX Intermediate Crude said...

Sally asks if the quarantined weapons are the type that would be useful for the last battle of this war.
These weapons are widely reported to be precision guided bombs.
The alternative is non-precision bombs, the kind we used in WWII, on German and Japanese civilian populations. It was the only kind of bomb we had.
It won't be difficult for Bibi to spin the inevitable excess civilian casualties as being due to the absence of precision munitions.
The US declined to sell weapons to Israel for the first decade or so of its existence; the IDF flew French Mirages and found weapons elsewhere. They can do it again.

Sebastian said...

"US fears its goals for Gaza — freeing hostages and aiding Palestinians — do not align with Israeli PM’s desire for political survival and an invasion of Rafah"

Even by prog standards, this is such BS. The administration has rarely even mentioned the Americans still being held hostage. "Aiding Palestinians" is surely a prog goal--but with or without Hamas? Tell us, Joe. Yeah, and that evil "PM" is a nice boogeyman, but it's not his political survival but his country's national survival that is at stake. And sure, that PM "desires" an invasion of Rafah, another evil Joo trying to clobber the poor Palis, because--wait, a terrorist force might be hiding there?

But then, the BS accurately reflects what US stands for now.

lonejustice said...

A 2,000 pound bomb causes lethal fragmentation to a radius of 400 yards or more. This is not the kind of bomb that Israel will use in Rafa, due to the density of the population. So this is all politics on Biden's part.

Unknown said...

Why isn't the administration pressuring Egypt (and possibly Jordan) to take in refugees, even temporarily? That would solve a lot of the problem, and at low cost. If Romania and Poland can take in a couple million Ukrainians, Egypt should be able to put a few hundred thousand fellow Arabs in temporary housing in the Sinai.

Eva Marie said...

Mark said...
“Of course, if the GOP wasn't filled with isolationist America First Trumpists who whined and cried . . .”
President Trump cut aid to Gaza - restored by President Biden. Trump initiated the Abraham Accords. Biden not only restored funding to Hamas but allowed Iran access to $16 billion.
When AmericaFirstTrump was President there was stability. So don’t blame the GOP for Biden’s ineptness.

cassandra lite said...

After it was revealed that Biden freed up the $10 billion to Iran, it was correctly noted that the US was funding both sides of the war.

Now we’re funding only one side, the side whose motto is “Death to America.”

We’re living in a suicidally dystopian timeline.

Rusty said...

Robert Cook said...
"Why do we have to insert ourselves into every squabble the rest of the world gets itself into?"

"Because we see ourselves as the de facto "ruler" of the world."
Jesus. Someday you'll get it right.
No. You socialist simpleton. It's because Democrats and Republicans are making graft on the deal. "America" doesn't want to rule the world. We did after WW2 and then we gave it all back.
Try to let this inside your ossified lefty brain pan. Everytime we offer "aid" to anybody the ruling elite of DC make money in graft. Don't look at who is getting the "aid" look at the organizations that are delivering the aid. Everybody gets paid except you.

RCOCEAN II said...

Oh gosh, he "paused a shipment" for bombs used to kill innocent civilians for a weak. Wow, Genocide Joe is STANDING UP TO ISRAEL. LOL.

Yeah, Lets forget that $24 Billion in aid to Israel that Genocide Joe just rammed through Congress. That's in addition to the other $30 Billion we gave them in october 2023. Do realize there are only 10 million Israelis? That means we gave every man, woman, and child in Israel $2,400. And yet, Biden is talking tough. And then will give everything Israel wants. Joe biden gets on his knees and gives Bibi a blowjob anytime Bibi wants it, but now he's refusing to let Bibi also ram it up his ass. What courage.

Because Biden's a corrupt bought off phony who has zero patriotism. I mean American patriotism, not Israeli patriotism.

Rocco said...

US fears its goals for Gaza — freeing hostages and aiding Palestinians — do not align with [Israel]…

That they are willing to throw aid towards the Palestinians without the hostages - including several Americans - show that the Biden administration has no real goal of freeing the hostages.

Rocco said...

MadTownGuy said...
The Israelis could hire some goy pilots to fly an airlift of swine in parachutes to run the streets of Gaza. Haram from above.

And mice with bananas. You know the recent incident with the Columbia protesters was just a trial run.

Rocco said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dude1394 said...

I actually thought I could not despise democrats any more than I already do. They continue to show great ingenuity in displaying their NAZISM.

Big Mike said...

Why isn't the administration pressuring Egypt (and possibly Jordan) to take in refugees, even temporarily?

Because Egypt and Jordan have had decades of experience with Gaza and West Bank refugees, and want nothing to do with them. You want to see what a proper border wall looks like? Find pictures of the border between Egypt and Gaza. The Egyptians are not messing around.

As (bad) luck (and worse timing) would have it, the wife and I were tourists in Egypt to see the pyramids and the ancient, great temples right after October 7th, and I came away with the impression that ordinary Egyptians want to catch up to the 21st century and share in the prosperity that depends on peace. They are aware —as you are not — that if Hamas cannot find unarmed Jews to kill, that they are perfectly prepared to murder fellow Islamic Arabs who do not share their view of neverending bloodshed and jihad. Remember the Moslem Brotherhood? Ordinary Egyptians sure do.

mikee said...

Unconditional surrender could be stated as the goal by Israel, and then it is up to Hamas to decide if they want to surrender & live (after appropriate war crime trials) or die and take Gazan civilians as collateral damage with them.

Why not state that demand openly, give Hamas 1 hour to lay down arms, strip to jockey shorts, and come out with hands up, or take what Israel is ready to provide in the way of martyrdom? What is there to lose by stating this as the goal and then achieving that goal?

Achilles said...

Mark said...

Of course, if the GOP wasn't filled with isolationist America First Trumpists who whined and cried about the Israel funding that just passed Congress, the House could immediately file and pass articles of impeachment for Biden's refusal to spend the funds just appropriated.

That's the problem. Too often these types are no different than the Dems.


When America First was the policy we had peace in the middle east and the Abraham accords.

Something the Uniparty and the traitorous shitheads like Speaker Johnson have failed at for decades. Now we have war everywhere just like the neocons want.

This is why the only people Republican voters hate more than Democrats in DC are the Republicans in DC.

Achilles said...

Unknown said...

Why isn't the administration pressuring Egypt (and possibly Jordan) to take in refugees, even temporarily? That would solve a lot of the problem, and at low cost. If Romania and Poland can take in a couple million Ukrainians, Egypt should be able to put a few hundred thousand fellow Arabs in temporary housing in the Sinai.

Because Israel is only 3rd on the scoreboard for most Palestinians killed.

Jordan has killed orders of magnitude more Palestinians than Israel and Egypt and Israel are in the same ballpark. Egypt built an epic fence to keep them out and hates the Palestinians.

Everyone in the area kills the Palestinians. The only people they get mad at are the Jews.

Jimmy said...

Congress and biden, want a normal Israeli Arab/Persian war. Jews are murdered, Israel partially invades, kills some bad guys, then it's back to Biden types giving aid to Gaza, talking about two states etc.
Israel is done with it. Americans don't seem to notice, or it isn't reported, that Israel isn't stopping this time. It won't take weeks, it will take years.
They will hunt down and kill every single Hamas operative. Everywhere.
They know who and what Biden is, everyone in the ME knows how incompetent, corrupt and stupid that idiot is....
Israelis understand too well, that they are loved when they are being ethnically cleansed from countries, murdered en masse. They decided this time, that it is fine if the world hates them for defending their little strip of land. Thousands of Israelis have returned home, more are coming everyday.
The Arabs are supportive-The Palestinians have murdered Arabs in Jordon, Egypt and other Arab countries.
So American Jews can whine, Congress can act tough, and the UN can GF itself.

Achilles said...

RCOCEAN II said...

Oh gosh, he "paused a shipment" for bombs used to kill innocent civilians for a weak. Wow, Genocide Joe is STANDING UP TO ISRAEL. LOL.

Hamas supporters do not care about the Palestinian people.

The best thing for the people in Gaza is for the men to be killed until they renounce Hamas and the PLO and then for the women, children, and survivors to be absorbed into local populations.

Their current leadership will only lead them into war, death, and poverty and future generations of people should not be condemned to this fate.

Achilles said...

Eva Marie said...

When AmericaFirstTrump was President there was stability. So don’t blame the GOP for Biden’s ineptness.

There are maybe 100 republicans in the house that are not just democrats at this point.

We must absolutely blame the GOP. Most Republicans in DC want these wars just as much as the democrats.

Joe Smith said...

Why is the story of Americans being held hostage not 24/7 news?

n.n said...

Israel, Jordan, Syria, and unincorporated territories (e.g. Gaza) occupy the Palestine mandate in this post-empire era.

n.n said...

Murder, rape, and torture in the pursuit of social justice is no ethical vice. That said, Hamas should be more like Fatah is, than it was. Let the people of Gaza go.

hombre said...

Appalling! The London Times is full of shit as is Biden. Biden is an Obama toady. Obama is a Muslim loving anti-Israel antisemite.

Aiding Palestinians is about Biden's political survival with the Hamas Wing of the Democrat Party. You remember. The Palestinians who danced in the streets celebrating 9/11 and October 7th. The Palestinians who elected Hamas with its stated goal to "obliterate" Israel. The Palestinian who refuse to evacuate their families from Rafah and elsewhere because Hamas will lose the opportunity for propaganda. Those Palestinians!!

Netanyahu is not seeking political survival, but the survival of his nation.

Oligonicella said...

Robert Cook:
Our 70-year empire game is getting old and creaky,...

empire noun

1. an extensive group of states or countries under a single supreme authority, formerly especially an emperor or empress: "the Roman Empire"
2. a large commercial organization owned or controlled by one person or group: "her business empire grew"
3. a variety of apple.


Having no single supreme authority or group, the U.S. is neither 1 nor 2.

You, however, strike me as 3.

Mark said...

Take a look at the calendar, Eva and Heel. See what year it is.

Meanwhile, your responses only prove my point: You and Rusty, et al., actually approve of Biden withholding funds to Israel.

Rick67 said...

One of my strongest criticisms of the last few presidents is how much of an "ally vacuum" they have created in crucial regions of the world. China is asserting its hegemony in Southeast Asia almost unchecked. China has been trying to establish footholds throughout Africa. (This started before 2010 when I journeyed through China for four weeks and was surprised to learn about Chinese presence and activity there. Americans have almost no clue.) How much has the United States left Eastern European nations hanging dry? How much has the United States worked at strengthening ties with nations in Southeast Asia and the subcontinent? And how much is the United States under Biden pulling away from Israel? Surely that is a concern. Unless the Biden Administration is more interested in ties to Syria and Iran.

The stultifying incompetence of Biden foreign policy is astonishing.

Jim at said...

Of course, if the GOP wasn't filled with isolationist America First Trumpists who whined and cried about the Israel funding that just passed Congress,

You really have become as stupid as the other Mark. We weren't complaining about the funding, dumbshit. We were pissed there was nothing in the legislation regarding the southern border.

Seriously. Just quit now.

Narayanan said...

Biden want to win reelection
Bibi want to avoid 'impeachment' Israeli version

they deserve each other

Narayanan said...

Blogger hombre said...
... Netanyahu is not seeking political survival, but the survival of his nation.
=================
previous choice by Netanyahu wrt Hamas has brought his country to this fight for survival.

choice by FJB wrt Hamas will do similar to USA

RCOCEAN II said...

No doubt in response to Archilles upthread some Gazan supporter is writing:

The best thing for the people in Israel is for the men to be killed until they renounce Netenyahu and the Rightwing extermists and then for the women, children, and survivors to be absorbed into local populations.

Internet tough-guys aka Killer-clowns exist on both sides. Based on their tweets, I'm sure J-Pod and Jonah Golberg would be enraged at this, but are they Ok with Israel and her supporters pushing Genocide, while crying and rendering their garments over the Arabs feeling the same way. Tribalists are weird that way.

RCOCEAN II said...

No doubt in response to Archilles upthread some Gazan supporter is writing:

The best thing for the people in Israel is for the men to be killed until they renounce Netenyahu and the Rightwing extermists and then for the women, children, and survivors to be absorbed into local populations.

Internet tough-guys aka Killer-clowns exist on both sides. Based on their tweets, I'm sure J-Pod and Jonah Golberg would be enraged at this, but are they Ok with Israel and her supporters pushing Genocide, while crying and rendering their garments over the Arabs feeling the same way. Tribalists are weird that way.

RCOCEAN II said...

Its amazing what corrupt unpatriotic people run our country. They're sell us out to China except they've already sold us out to israel.

Eva Marie said...

Mark said
“Meanwhile, your responses only prove my point: You and Rusty, et al., actually approve of Biden withholding funds to Israel.”
No Mark. This is all on the Democrats and their leader, President Biden.
When AmericaFirstTrump was President, Israel wasn’t threatened by Hamas, Iran, and the American Educational Establishment. Where are the Democratic voices demanding Biden to change course? We AmericaFirsters - we’re slowly changing the Republican Party. But even the old guard GOP - I prefer them to the Squad, Chuck Schumer, and Maxine Waters. Democrats need to stop pointing fingers and fix their party.
BTW if you think it’s a slur or an insult to call someone an AmericaFirster, you have a lot of rethinking to do. All those Democrat students taking down American flags, burning them, defacing monuments, - they need to start rethinking their actions.
Trump 2024

Tim said...

So Biden's true colors come out, he is with the rapist, baby murderers, and torturers. Who is surprised by this? When he is tossed out in November by numbers beyond the margin of the vote manufacturing machine that the Democratic Party has become, I suggest that we go after him and his stooges just like they went after the Trump administration. So the Democrats will learn not to do it again.

MikeD said...

Since the weapos being held back are various "smart bombs" it stands to reason Biden actually is looking to increase the "civilian" death toll. Smart bombs are precision instruments, without them you get gravity bombs, circle of accuracy a quarter mile +/-!

MikeD said...

Since the weapos being held back are various "smart bombs" it stands to reason Biden actually is looking to increase the "civilian" death toll. Smart bombs are precision instruments, without them you get gravity bombs, circle of accuracy a quarter mile +/-!

Rusty said...

RCOCEAN II said...
"Its amazing what corrupt unpatriotic people run our country. They're sell us out to China except they've already sold us out to israel."

Never underestimate the power of 'and'.
Before you think I'm on your side I hope every so-called Palestinian is driven into the sea.
They fucked around and now they're finding out. Just not on my dime.
If you're that concerned about your Palestinian bretheren get your ass over there and help out.

traditionalguy said...

I smell the Obama team. This has always been the slimy goal of Hussein Obama. Biden is taking his orders.

I for one never fell for the Smiling Kenyan Muslim’s sophisticated tricks. It has been clear since 2007 that his sole goal is the cleansing the earth of the Jews.So disarming Israel while it’s under attack from 4 directions makes perfect sense.

Iman said...

Well said, Eva Marie @6:00pm!

JAORE said...

The path to success by the Biden actions lie.... where?

This pause won't stop the anti-Israel protesters - the "cool kids" are having fun. And it MIGHT cause a slight drop in funding from those that support Israel.

The only way (IMO) Joe regains substantial votes in Michigan is to REALLY smack Israel hard (blaming Bibi or Zionists, you know, NOT the wonderful Jews in Israel). Making his position clearly pro-Hamas. And quickly, November approaches.

That would, I think, be a bridge WAY too far for most voters not on the far, far left.

Old Joe has found himself between a rock and a hard place. His own fault, but he's always wandering around unaware anyway.