Senate Republicans are accusing the Democratic Party, including President Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, of emboldening Iran prior to the country’s recent attack on U.S. ally Israel. Republicans claim that Democrats are focused on appealing to their radical left base, which is seen as supporting Hamas and Iran over Israel. They argue that Biden allowed over $100 billion to flow to Iran, which was then used to make drones and cruise missiles to attack Israel, essentially funding Iran’s attack. The Democrats’ position on Israel and Iran is criticized as illogical and indefensible.
Iran’s recent direct attack on Israel involved launching hundreds of drone strikes and a barrage of ballistic and cruise missiles. With the help of the U.S. military, Israel managed to intercept nearly all the incoming drone and missile attacks. This marks a significant escalation from Iran’s previous involvement in attacks against Israel through proxies in countries such as Syria and Yemen. Senate Republicans believe that the Democratic Party’s actions are undermining Israel’s security and emboldening Iran and its proxies in their aggressions.
Prior to the recent attack, President Biden had taken a stern posture toward Israel as it fought Hamas in Gaza. Schumer had called on Israel to hold elections to replace Netanyahu, which angered Republicans. Schumer argued that Netanyahu’s coalition had aligned with far-right extremists and had been too willing to tolerate civilian casualties in Gaza. Despite backlash from Republicans, Schumer maintains that the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security is strong and that the best way to deter enemies like Iran is for Congress to pass the bipartisan supplemental bill providing aid to Israel for defense and fighting against Iranian-backed aggression.
Some Democratic senators are reportedly concerned that the party’s posture on Israel may be sending mixed signals, leading Iran to believe that American support for Israel is wavering. Republicans, such as Sen. Tim Scott, accuse Biden of trying to appease the radical base of his party while also supporting Israel. The White House has rejected criticism of Biden’s stance on Israel, emphasizing that he has defended Israel and ordered American military support during the recent attacks.
In response to recent efforts by Senate Democrats to block immediate aid to Israel, Republicans have criticized them for playing politics rather than supporting a key ally in the Middle East. Sen. Marsha Blackburn cited instances where Democrats blocked efforts to provide aid to Israel immediately, preferring to tie it to other foreign aid packages. Republicans argue that the Democratic Party has an anti-Israel problem, as evidenced by their actions regarding Israel and Iran.
Despite intelligence suggesting that Iran’s attack on Israel was expected as a response to an earlier incident involving the consulate strike, the scale of the attack and direct targeting of Israel still shocked many. Democrats in the Senate have objected to voting on stand-alone Israel aid bills, opting to support a foreign aid package that links Israel aid to aid for Ukraine. Republicans continue to criticize the Democrats’ stance, accusing them of undermining Israel’s security and emboldening Iran and its proxies in their actions against the U.S. ally.
