Sen. Murphy backs Biden on limited Israel arms, urges concrete peace steps

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, has come out in support of President Joe Biden’s decision to limit certain weapons shipments to Israel. He argued that the U.S. should not be providing a “blank check” of military support to its allies and that it has the right to ensure that its partnerships are based on winning strategies. Murphy was responding to criticisms from other Democrats, including Sen. John Fetterman from Pennsylvania, who had expressed concerns about Biden’s threats to Israel regarding an operation in Rafah. On CNN’s State of the Union, Murphy defended the U.S. strategy, citing the advice of national security experts who believe that the current conflict will have a lasting impact on global terrorism.

Murphy emphasized his desire to see Hamas eliminated as a threat to Israel and expressed concerns about the civilian casualties that could provide recruiting material for Hamas. He also called for Israel to make a “more concrete commitment to a future Palestinian state,” which he believes is essential for the survival of the Jewish State in the Middle East.

So, Murphy says we have no right to basically write Israeli a blank check, (which we don’t, nor to Ukraine), but in a sense we do with Ukraine by all the funding we give it. If we cut of Israel then we need to cut off Ukraine. https://t.co/3WUKwyDZrp

— Smurf ❌ (@Smurf4555) May 12, 2024

However, Biden’s decision to limit weapons shipments to Israel has drawn bipartisan criticism, with some of his top allies in the administration and the Senate supporting the move. Sen. Bernie Sanders went further by arguing that Israel should not receive any military aid from the U.S.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began with terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians, has been a source of concern. While Biden’s approach has faced objections within his own party, Murphy’s support for the decision reflects a willingness to prioritize U.S. national security interests and strategic partnerships over traditional alliances with Israel.