3 weeks ago
Biden speaks aft signing overseas assistance package
The State Department is evaluating "new information" provided by nan Israeli authorities astir nan position of an Israeli subject portion deemed to person committed gross violations of quality authorities successful nan West Bank earlier nan Oct. 7 Hamas panic attacks, according to a missive sent to House Speaker Mike Johnson by Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The accusation comes arsenic Blinken weighs whether to urge suspending U.S. assistance to nan portion nether a national measurement known arsenic nan Leahy Law. The rule prevents nan U.S. from providing weapons aliases costs for subject assistance to groups erstwhile location is reliable accusation indicating nan groups person violated quality rights.
The imaginable move, now nether aggravated nationalist scrutiny arsenic nan Biden management comes nether increasing unit to clasp Israel accountable connected world quality authorities standards, would beryllium unprecedented successful nan decades-long information business betwixt nan U.S. and Israel.
But successful nan undated letter, which was obtained and authenticated by CBS News, Blinken assures Johnson that nan broader determinations he has made successful accordance pinch nan Leahy Law "will not hold nan transportation of immoderate U.S. assistance," and Israel would "receive nan afloat magnitude appropriated by Congress." According to a root pinch knowledge of nan letter, Johnson had demanded assurance from Blinken earlier he would put a long-delayed overseas assistance package to a ballot connected nan House floor. Blinken's missive was delivered to Johnson past Saturday, nan time nan ballot was to return place.
Blinken specified successful nan missive that he had made determinations connected 3 subject units of nan Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), arsenic good arsenic 2 civilian authority units that were implicated successful incidents of gross quality authorities violations against Palestinian civilians successful nan West Bank. None of nan incidents that were investigated progressive Israel's operations against Hamas successful Gaza aliases Iran aliases its proxies, and each of them predated nan Oct. 7 attacks, nan missive said.
Two of nan IDF battalions were "credibly implicated" successful gross quality authorities violations, Blinken said, but nan Israeli authorities had already conducted "effective remediation" of both. This intends that U.S. information assistance tin proceed to travel to those and nan civilian authority units.
In nan lawsuit of nan 3rd IDF unit, Blinken said, location had not been "effective remediation to date," though nan Israeli authorities acknowledged nan group had engaged successful "conduct inconsistent pinch IDF rules" and was transferred to nan Golan Heights from nan West Bank successful 2022.
"The Israeli authorities has presented caller accusation regarding nan position of nan portion and we will prosecute connected identifying a way to effective remediation for this unit," Blinken wrote, without specifying whether a suspension of U.S. assistance could yet beryllium warranted.
CBS News has antecedently reported that 1 of nan battalions recovered to beryllium successful usurpation was nan Netzah Yehuda unit, which has been implicated successful nan decease of an 80-year-old Palestinian American successful 2022.
Officials acquainted pinch nan process said nan U.S. and Israel person successful spot a general statement that requires nan U.S. to consult pinch nan Israeli authorities earlier reaching a conclusion nether nan Foreign Assistance Act, nether which nan Leahy rule falls. That consultation regarding nan 3rd subject portion is taking spot now, they said.
The U.S. has been separately reviewing whether nan IDF and Israeli authorities are successful compliance pinch U.S. and world humanitarian rule successful its conflict pinch Hamas.
In February, President Biden issued a caller nationalist information memorandum, known arsenic NSM20. It ordered a State Department reappraisal of each countries receiving U.S. subject assistance successful bid to certify whether they're successful compliance pinch U.S. and world humanitarian law. This came successful consequence to unit by Senate Democrats, including Chris Van Hollen of Delaware, who has publically accused Israel of violating nan Foreign Assistance Act and different U.S. laws successful that existent conflict. Congress is expected to person those results by May 8.
In his missive to Johnson, Blinken stressed that nan section had made nary further determinations nether nan Leahy Law.
"I besides want to stress that, contrary to immoderate media reports, nary different Leahy determinations regarding Israel person been made," he wrote.
Blinken first said past Friday astatine a G7 property convention successful Capri, Italy, that he had made "determinations" related to imaginable Leahy Law violations. "[Y]ou tin expect to spot them successful nan days ahead," he said astatine nan time.
The thought that nan U.S. could return specified a punitive measurement triggered fierce condemnation from Israeli officials successful what American sources person said was a amazingly heated backlash.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu past Sunday called nan imaginable punishment "the tallness of absurdity; a civilized low." Israeli warfare furniture curate Benny Gantz said it would group a "dangerous precedent."
Both Gantz and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant raised nan matter successful telephone calls pinch Blinken past Sunday.
Blinken's comments besides came conscionable earlier a important House ballot connected a $95 cardinal supplemental assistance package pinch costs for Ukraine, Taiwan and Israel that had languished successful Congress for much than six months amid guidance from right-wing lawmakers.
"Following Secretary Blinken's comments, nan Speaker demanded an mentation from nan Administration and assurances regarding nan timely transportation of nan subject assistance to Israel which nan House passed Saturday," a spokesperson for Johnson's agency said successful a statement.
Earlier this week Johnson said successful a power question and reply that earlier nan measure was brought to nan House he had demanded — and received — akin written assurances from nationalist information advisor Jake Sullivan.
Asked connected Thursday astir Johnson's comments, State Department lawman spokesperson Vedant Patel said he would "not speak to nan specifics astir our correspondence pinch members of Congress and legislature leadership."
"[W]hatever whitethorn aliases whitethorn not hap is not — does not person base connected nan longstanding information narration we whitethorn person pinch that country," he continued, without mentioning Israel. "[I]f we are to find a violation, it would beryllium a regularisation connected a peculiar portion aliases component."
- In:
- Mike Johnson
- Israel
- Patrick Leahy
