This week President Biden warned that the United States would stop weapons deliveries to Israel if, as expected, Israel moves against Hamas in Rafah.
“I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — 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,” Biden said, according to CNN.
Now, in response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will stand alone if it moves against Hamas in Rafah and that its actions will not be altered by a withdrawal of American support.
In full, the statement released on May 10 by the Prime Minister’s office reads:
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today:
“We are on the eve of Independence Day. In the War of Independence 76 years ago, we were the few against the many. We did not have weapons. There was an arms embargo on Israel, but with great strength of spirit, heroism and unity among us — we were victorious.
Today we are much stronger. We are determined and we are united in order to defeat our enemies and those who want to destroy us.
If we need to stand alone, we will stand alone.
I have said that if necessary — we will fight with our fingernails.
But we have much more than fingernails and with that same strength of spirit, with G-d’s help, together we will win.”
For full analysis of the conflict in Israel from The New American, see “Behind the Israel-Gaza War” by Executive Senior Editor Steve Bonta.
