Unsure of US support, Israel seeks alternate weapons dealers
The White House fears a bloody Israeli invasion of Rafah will cause outrage that will harm President Biden's re-election chances
Israel is trying to obtain weapons and raw materials from non-US sources, fearing that its looming invasion of Rafah may lead to a loss of US military support, KAN News reported on 25 March.
KAN cites an Israeli security official as claiming that the "increasing criticism and delegitimization fueled by both Muslim groups and antisemites endanger the transfer of US-backed ammunition and warfare."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to invade Rafah, where some 1.3 million Palestinians are sheltering. Humanitarian groups have warned it would lead to a “bloodbath,” while US officials have warned Netanyahu against such an operation. They fear the high civilian death toll will hurt President Joe Biden's chances for re-election.
The Israeli official added, “There is concern that the tensions with the US are stimulated by the entry of Israeli troops into Rafah alongside the humanitarian issue in Gaza. [These factors] will affect Americans' willingness to continue assisting Israel with the same intensity.”
According to the official, the US is still supplying Israel with all the weapons it needs to continue devastating Gaza, as "every day there is an air train arrives. [However] the largest fear [currently] is that the tensions due to the entry into Rafah will affect the American willingness to help Israel security-wise."
Israel's campaign of genocide, which has killed over 31,000 Palestinians and flattened large swathes of Gaza's cities and farmland, is forcing other countries to reconsider arming Israel.
Many countries are bound by domestic laws, which prohibit selling weapons to countries engaging in war crimes.
Both Canada and Italy have announced they will not arm Israel, while France and Germany are threatening to boycott supplying Israel with military equipment amid a global ammunition shortage due to support to Ukraine in its war against Russia.
"There are no stocks in Europe; everyone is making sure to purchase the most advanced means [for themselves]," the security official claimed.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived in Washington Monday for a series of meetings with senior White House officials, including Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and CIA head William Burns. Gallant seeks to ensure a continued supply of US weapons and convince US leaders that Israel is committed to allowing aid into Gaza as famine sets in.
Despite fears of losing US support, another security official claimed that there is "no choice – [Israel] must enter Rafah unless a ceasefire agreement is reached. If there is no agreement, the position of the security establishment is that the Gazan citizens should be evacuated from Rafah along the coast."