WASHINGTON \u2014 A much-anticipated State Department report on possible Israeli humanitarian violations in Gaza is quintessential to President Joe Biden\u2019s presidency: It sends mixed messages about the Jewish state\u2019s conduct of the war and further clouds the administration\u2019s murky policy approach.<\/p>\n
The report, which the administration agreed to provide under its National Security Memorandum 20, is the latest attempt to influence Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s conduct of his war with Hamas in Gaza without further alienating voters at home as polls indicate Biden is in a dead heat with former President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n
The report reflects a pattern from the president and his top aides of both criticizing \u2014 even threatening \u2014 Netanyahu while also choosing middle-ground approaches and sending mixed signals.<\/p>\n
Biden isn\u2019t going far enough for a key part of his base in battleground states like Michigan and Minnesota, where there are large Arab American populations. As part of the pro-Palestinian \u201cuncommitted\u201d protest vote push, hundreds of thousands of typically Democratic voters have declined to cast ballots for Biden in primaries this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cBiden\u2019s announcement to halt American arms for Israel\u2019s Rafah invasion marks a step forward, propelled by our growing anti-war movement,\u201d Layla Elabed, a spokesperson for Uncommitted National Movement, said in a statement late last week. \u201cBut, as the Democratic Party has fractured over Israel\u2019s atrocities in Gaza over the past several months, Biden\u2019s actions will always speak louder than his words.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the report sent to Congress on Friday, the State Department said it was \u201creasonable to assess\u201d Israel has used U.S.-manufactured and -supplied weapons in ways that likely violated international humanitarian law<\/p>\n
\u201cGiven Israel\u2019s significant reliance on U.S.-made defense articles, it is reasonable to assess that defense articles covered under [the national security memorandum] have been used by Israeli security forces since October 7 in instances inconsistent with its obligations or with established best practices for mitigating civilian harm,\u201d according to the report.<\/p>\n
But the report included notable caveats, such as one stating it was \u201cdifficult to assess or reach conclusive findings on individual incidents.\u201d<\/p>\n
The document\u2019s construction is reflective of an administration that often sends mixed messages about its policy toward Israel and the conflict in Gaza.<\/p>\n
For instance, Biden last Wednesday told CNN he would stop sending Israel heavy bombs and artillery shells should the Israeli military launch a major ground offensive inside Rafah, an area in southern Gaza where U.S. officials estimate 1.5 million Palestinian refugees are hunkered down \u2014 including 600,000 children.<\/p>\n
About 48 hours later, however, a top spokeswoman appeared to contradict him.<\/p>\n
White House officials, responding to criticism from Republican lawmakers about Biden pausing one shipment of heavy bombs to Israel due to concerns about Rafah, intend to abide by the recent national security supplemental spending measure that included billions for the Jewish state, said Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden\u2019s top spokesperson.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are going to make sure every dollar of the appropriations that is coming out of the national security supplemental, indeed, gets to Israel,\u201d she told reporters Thursday evening on Air Force One. \u201cThat is our commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n
The measure, which received bipartisan support in both chambers, includes $26.4 billion in military aid for Israel.<\/p>\n
Lawmakers\u2019 reaction to the report and the administration pausing one arms shipment have been as mixed as the White House\u2019s messaging.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the reality of us being in an election year now and the election just six months away \u2026 you have kind of a political and an operational reality there,\u201d Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a member of the House Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Intelligence committees, said during a Sunday television interview.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe certainly is withholding aid, and he is obviously doing it for political reasons,\u201d Waltz added. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to get Biden what he wants. It\u2019s only angering the supporters of Israel who do believe, as I do, you have to destroy Hamas.\u201d<\/p>\n
But Democratic Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Chris Coons of Delaware said the president \u201chas taken forceful action.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo much so there\u2019s been a lot of blowback for his recent public statement,\u201d Coons told said on \u201cThis Week\u201d Sunday on ABC. \u201cAnd I\u2019ll remind you, other American presidents have done the same thing when a close, trusted partner isn\u2019t listening to private admonitions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Biden administration\u2019s communications with key lawmakers on national security and foreign policy also has sent mixed messages and sown confusion.<\/p>\n
CQ Roll Call reported last week that some senior members said they were not notified of the frozen arms shipment, adding they learned about the move from press reports. These members also offered contradictory assessments of just what was being withheld from Israel.<\/p>\n
Asked Friday about that confusion, a statement from a National Security Council spokesperson provided scant clarity.<\/p>\n
State Department and Pentagon officials notified top congressional leaders and \u201cstaff from relevant committees at the beginning of the week\u201d about the administration\u2019s decision to freeze a weapons shipment to Israel, the NSC spokesperson said in a Friday email.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re in constant contact with the Hill on a variety of issues. I can confirm that we\u2019ve been in touch with many members of Congress to brief them on the latest,\u201d the spokesperson added, declining to comment on \u201cprivate discussions\u201d with specific members or staffers, nor about which specific committees were noticed.<\/p>\n
During a number of Friday and Saturday fundraisers on the West Coast, Biden did little to bring clarity to his approach to the conflict.<\/p>\n
\u201cBefore I begin, let me answer a question related to the hostages. I keep getting asked by the press and all the other folks out there. You know, there would be a ceasefire tomorrow if Ira\u2026 \u2014 Hamas released the hostages, women, the elderly, and the wounded,\u201d he said Saturday during a gathering of donors in the Seattle area.<\/p>\n
It appeared he began to blame Iran for the sides being unable to reach an agreement to pause fighting so more hostages could be released and humanitarian aid moved into Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cIsrael said it\u2019s up to Hamas if they wanted to do it, we could end it tomorrow. And the ceasefire would begin tomorrow,\u201d Biden said. \u201cIt all has to do, you know, we\u2019ve not\u2026 Anyway, I guess I shouldn\u2019t get into all this about Israel, but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
He trailed off for five seconds, according to a pool reporter in the room before adding: \u201cWell, I don\u2019t want to get going.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nor did Secretary of State Antony Blinken.<\/p>\n
Referring to a military operation in Rafah, Blinken told ABC News that the president \u201cdoesn\u2019t want to see American weapons used in that kind of operation.\u201d But he immediately added: \u201cThat\u2019s not to say that he is going to abandon Israel or cut them off from weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n
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