What is preventing Biden from halting arms sales to Israel?

[cilla4progress]

Break it down for me like I'm stupid.

[getagrip_already]

1. Iran, syria, jordan, egypt.....

In a nutshell. External enemies, not internal enemies, are what we are arming israel to protect against.

They are surrounded by hostile, well armed, and hugely populated countries who would love to see them wiped out.

Some more than others, buy none would shed a tear if it fell and its people crushed.

That's why we ship arms and have a military aid treaty with them.

[Voltaire2]

2. Iran has no border with Israel

Syria is not a military threat to anyone other than Syrians as it is essentially a failed state except around Damascus.

Egypt works closely with both Israel and the US. Likewise Jordan is not a military threat.

Israel is a nuclear power with the capability to destroy any of your list that seriously threatened to defeat Israel in a conventional war, not that any of them could.

As soon as the IDF withdraws from Gaza an embargo on arms sales should be lifted. I have no problem with Israel purchasing weapons from US manufacturers, my problem is their using them in a genocide in progress.

[getagrip_already]

3. Sure, you keep saying that to yourself....

Then maybe there will be one person on the planet who will believe you.

Iran isn't a military threat? Ok then.

[Voltaire2]

7. How exactly is Iran going to invade Israel?

[getagrip_already]

8. Sigh.... with or without us aid?

They are a mitary threat either way, but much more so without our aid.

They are currently funding, arming, and directing hezboluh, hamas, houthis and other terrorist cells in Syria, Jordan, Qatar, and Israel.

They don't have to send troops directly, though getting them into a third country isnt difficult. You know that.

Peace doesn't come through unilateral disarmament. Defeat does.

That is a putinistic argument comrade.

[getagrip_already]

9. And this way, exactly....

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/10/biden-israel-iran-strike

[Rincewind]

10. Iran doesn't have to invade Israel,

they just arm Hamas, Hezbollah, FATWA, Islamic Jihad, and every other terrorist group that murders Israelis.

[Voltaire2]

11. Hezbollah is the only serious threat

and they are simply no match for the IDF. They can’t do more than be annoying.

Iran is not funding any Sunni jihadists. That would be our good friends the Saud thugopoly.

The era when Israel was threatened by conventional military forces ended 50 years ago. Besides the simple fact that there is no military force that is an existential threat to Israel, Israel has a nuclear capability that would be used were such a threat to somehow present itself.

These weapons we are shipping to Israel are not being used to defend Israel from terrorists or the nonexistent armies on its borders, they are being used to destroy Gaza.

[Basic LA]

4. Maybe a combination

of his ingrained position on Israel--forged in a different era--and (just guessing here) not wanting to do like LBJ did with the Voting Rights Act, losing the South to Republicans in perpetuity. Only this time it would be the Jewish community & donors that might be lost.

Trouble is, the growing and vocal number of his constituents appalled & disgusted by the genocide and at the weaponry, cash, & diplomatic cover lavished unconditionally on the "Occupiers" has to be weighed in, just as growing civil-rights activism had to be weighed in back then.

So it's a tough balancing act with far-reaching implications that he has to wrestle with now.

All conjecture on my part.

I know what I wish, though, as I see the starving, maimed thousands huddled in the death camp.

[cilla4progress]

5. Yeah - can no middle ground

be forged?

Why is it taking so long? I assume he/his advisors have good reasons.

[Basic LA]

6. It's maddening & infuriating!

The interview will perplex many.