U.S. Senator Jim Risch - ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Jim Risch - ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee | Official U.S. Senate headshot
BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today criticized the Biden-Harris Administration and congressional Democrats for what he perceives as a lack of support for Israel.
“While Israel continues to defend itself against Hamas, the Biden-Harris Administration and congressional Democrats are prioritizing pacifying the anti-Israel, and often anti-Semitic, sentiment among potential voters over supporting our close partner during a critical time of need,” said Risch. “American allies and partners are watching our government’s behavior closely. If Democrats don’t stop driving a wedge between us and our closest partner in the Middle East, then Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and others will take it as a sign that they can keep acting with impunity.”
Senator Risch highlighted several decisions by the Biden-Harris Administration and congressional Democrats that he believes have undermined Israel:
On February 8, 2024, the administration released National Security Memorandum 20 which included a new arms transfer policy that prioritizes virtue signaling over security needs. Risch stated this policy is anti-Israel and questions the reliability of the administration.
On March 14, 2024, Majority Leader Schumer suggested Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu should be replaced. Risch argued that the United States should not attempt to dictate domestic politics in other countries.
In May 2024, the administration decided to hold up certain arms sales to Israel without consulting Congress. The administration also threatened Israel on network television.
On May 10, 2024, another report from National Security Memorandum 20 gave Israel a politically damaging assessment while publicly announcing withholding precision weapons.
On May 20, 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Chief Yoav Gallant. As of August, the Department of Justice has yet to release its position on this action.
On May 21, 2024, during hearings in both Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee meetings, Secretary Blinken indicated support for sanctions against ICC actions against Israel. However, days later the administration changed its stance and Senate Democrats have not moved forward on related legislation since.
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