In an address to the nation on Thursday night, U.S. President Joe Biden drew connections between the threats facing Israel and Ukraine, and the need to provide aid to both countries, which are at war.
“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they share this in common: They both want to completely annihilate a neighboring democracy,” he stated.
“I know these conflicts can seem far away, and it’s natural to ask: Why does this matter to America?” Biden said. “History has taught us that when terrorists don’t pay a price for their terror, when dictators don’t pay a price for their aggression, they cause more chaos and death and more destruction. They keep going, and the cost and the threats to America and to the world keep rising.”
Later on in his 15-minute speech from the Oval Office, the president said that he intended to ask Congress on Friday “to fund America’s national security needs, to support our critical partners, including Israel and Ukraine.” Reportedly, he has called for $105 billion in funds to support Israel, Ukraine and to fund domestic U.S. border security.
The present moment is an “inflection point in history,” said Biden, calling Hamas’s attack on Oct. 7 “pure unadulterated evil” and insisting that the terror organization release the hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip. “Sadly, the Jewish people know, perhaps better than anyone, that there’s no limit to the depravity of people when they want to inflict pain on others.”
Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) disagreed with Biden’s decision to tie Israeli and Ukrainian aid together. “These are two separate issues and should be considered as such,” she wrote. “Israel needs our immediate attention, and Biden should move swiftly to deliver substantial aid to our Jewish friends in trouble.”
“What Biden is doing is disgusting. He’s using dead children in Israel to sell his disastrous Ukraine policy to skeptical Americans,” wrote Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio). “They are not the same countries, they are not the same problems and this effort to use Israel for political cover is offensive. Hell no.”
‘Distinguishing aid between the two countries is critical’
Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) was one of several lawmakers who penned a letter to the majority and minority leaders of the Senate.
“We write to express our strong opposition to combining aid for Israel with additional aid for Ukraine and the southern border,” they wrote. “Unfortunately, reports indicate President Biden will request a $100 billion package, to include $60 billion for Ukraine and just $10 billion for Israel, with the remaining funds supposedly intended to address the crisis at our southern border and for other national security priorities.”
“While we support the people of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression, distinguishing aid between the two countries is critical,” they added.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) saw things differently. “Tonight, President Joe Biden masterfully presented the case that American leadership on the world stage is necessary for preserving and promoting democracy,” she wrote. “The president strongly reiterated America’s commitment to the people of Israel and the people of Ukraine as they defend their democracies.”
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) wrote that she was proud to follow Biden’s lead. “This moment demands your experience, compassion and resolve. The U.S. must back our allies in Israel and Ukraine, both first lines of defense against tyranny, terror and hatred,” she added. “Their fight is our fight. I trust Joe Biden to keep these threats from our shores.”
