Van Hollen Statement in Support of Joint Resolutions of Disapproval on Offensive Weapons Transfers to Netanyahu Government
Today, U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) released the following statement announcing his support for the Joint Resolutions of Disapproval that will be considered by the Senate on Wednesday in response to the Biden Administration’s notice of the sale of offensive weapons to the Netanyahu government. The Senator also sent a letter to his Senate colleagues outlining in further detail the reasons for his support.
“U.S. taxpayer-funded assistance should not come in the form of a blank check – even to our closest partners. We need assurances that U.S. interests, values, and priorities will be respected by foreign governments that receive American support. That principle should apply universally, including to the Netanyahu government. But even as the United States has provided billions of dollars of American taxpayer-financed bombs and other offensive weapons systems, we’ve seen Prime Minister Netanyahu repeatedly violate the terms of American security assistance, disregard U.S. priorities, and ignore our requests, only to be rewarded by President Biden. That pattern undermines the credibility of the United States and should not persist.
“Following the Hamas terrorist attacks of October 7th, I have repeatedly supported Israel’s right to defend itself and end Hamas’ control of Gaza. I remain steadfast in that support. There must be no more October 7ths.
“But a just war must be waged justly. That’s why recipients of U.S. weapons must comply with American laws and policies. Recipients of security assistance must facilitate and not arbitrarily restrict the delivery of humanitarian assistance into war zones where U.S. weapons are being used, and American-supplied weapons must be used in accordance with international humanitarian law. The Netanyahu government is violating both of these requirements in Gaza. It is also rejecting a host of other priorities advanced by the United States, yet President Biden has failed to hold Netanyahu accountable – ignoring U.S. law and undercutting his own stated policies as well as America’s interests and values. Doing so undermines American global leadership and is a disservice to the American people, the people of Israel, and people throughout the Middle East.
“That is why I have repeatedly stated that the United States should pause the delivery of offensive weapons to the Netanyahu government until it complies with U.S. law and policy and until we can advance the security interests, priorities, and values of the American people. I continue to support the transfer of defensive systems, like the Iron Dome, to Israel and do not support an arms embargo. But a partnership must be a two way street, not a one way blank check. For these reasons, I will be supporting the joint resolutions of disapproval we will consider on Wednesday to pause the transfer of these offensive weapons to the Netanyahu government.”