Hagerty Condemns Biden's Decision to Withhold Arms from Israel

Tennessee GOP senator Bill Hagerty has sharply criticized the Biden administration for withholding arms from Israel, despite approval from Congress. Hagerty urged the White House to "get out of Israel’s way" as the nation contends with threats from Hamas in the south and Hezbollah in the north.

Responding to reports that the White House is frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for revealing the administration’s delays, Hagerty highlighted the severity of the situation. Netanyahu, in a recent video, expressed his gratitude for U.S. support but criticized the administration for withholding crucial weapons and ammunition. He stated:

"When Secretary Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation, I said, ‘I deeply appreciate the support the U.S. has given Israel from the beginning of the war.’ But I also said something else. I said, ‘It’s inconceivable that in the past few months the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel. Israel, America’s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies.’ Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration was working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that’s the case; it should be the case. During World War II, Churchill told the United States, ‘Give us the tools; we’ll do the job.’ And I say: Give us the tools and we’ll finish the job. A lot faster."

Hagerty emphasized this point in a tweet, criticizing the Biden administration for failing to submit formal notifications to Congress to finalize arms sales to Israel, including F-15s, JDAM smart bomb kits, and other munitions.

• The norm is for the Executive Branch to submit formal notifications to Congress within 48-72 hours after committees informally clear proposed arms sales.

• The Biden administration's delays are unprecedented amid Israel's multi-front war.

• Israel faces its darkest hour as it contends with escalating threats from Iran-backed terrorists.

Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, echoed Hagerty’s concerns. He condemned the Biden administration for its conditional support and failure to provide timely security assistance, highlighting the approval of nearly $20 billion in F-15 aircraft and other critical arms by Congress.

"The Biden Administration continues to try and have it both ways by claiming credit for security assistance to Israel that it has not provided. Meanwhile, those of us in Congress with jurisdiction over weapons sales have done our jobs and approved two separate tranches of arms transfers to Israel for formal notification to Congress, to include ammunition, vehicles to protect Israeli soldiers, and nearly $20B in F-15 aircraft. It is past time the administration move to formally notify the F-15 and ammunition sales and remove its existing hold on precision guided munitions. Micromanagement of Israel’s war on terror must end – let’s get out of the way."

Risch warned that the Biden administration’s actions send dangerous signals to Hezbollah and Hamas, potentially escalating the conflict and compromising both Israeli and American security.

The implications of the administration’s hesitancy are clear: by undermining Israel at a critical juncture, the U.S. risks encouraging further aggression from terrorist organizations and jeopardizes its own standing as a reliable partner.

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