Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) believes the United States is sending “mixed messages” to Israel regarding their war against Hamas.
The Biden administration has largely stood by Israel following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks, though U.S. officials have publicly called for the Israeli military to do more to prevent civilian casualties, though the overwhelming death toll has led those officials to repeat those calls many times over.
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There have been members of Congress, mainly from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, who have criticized the Israeli government and military for the war, have called for a ceasefire, and have discussed the possibility of putting conditions on the military aid it provides to Israel.
“From a diplomatic standpoint, we’ve been sending mixed messages to Israel. We talk about cease-fires. We talk about sending humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the Tennessee Republican said on Fox News Sunday. “We talked about putting conditions on aid.”
The Biden administration does not support a ceasefire that would leave Hamas in control in Gaza, nor does the president support conditioning aid to Israel, though he said last month he believed it was a “worthwhile thought.”
Still, Congress has not yet passed President Joe Biden’s $110 billion national security package that would include $14.3 billion for Israel to defeat Hamas, as Republicans have sought to hold out for strengthening U.S. immigration policies. The aid package debate comes as Israel continues to face criticism for how it’s carrying out its war in Gaza.
Hagerty was also critical of the administration’s stance toward Iran, which is stirring up increased tension in the region through its web of sponsored militants throughout the Middle East. Iranian-backed militias in Iraq have attacked U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria with drones and missiles about a hundred times, while the Houthis, a Yemen rebel group that also enjoys Tehran’s backing, have attacked 15 commercial vessels in the Red Sea in recent weeks.
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“They’re not taking a consistent response. So, of course, it’s not appropriate. That’s why Iran feels emboldened. What we’ve seen is put two aircraft carrier strike groups into the region. That’s a massive show of military force. But we’ve been highly inconsistent in terms of the way we deal with Iran from an economic standpoint and from a diplomatic standpoint,” he said, adding, “These mixed messages and the fact that we’ve allowed Iran to enrich itself and repopulate Hamas and Hezbollah and the Houthis with the weapons that they need, have created this situation.”
On Friday, The National Security Council accused Tehran of “enabling” the Houthis attacks by providing them with the critical intelligence required for these attacks to take place.
