US: White House questions Netanyahu’s criticism over weapons delay

The White House has pushed back against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims that the US is “withholding” weapons and ammunition from Israel, hours after he lashed out at the Biden administration.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed an ongoing pause remained on one particular shipment of bombs, echoing comments from Secretary of State Antony Blinken hours beforehand, but she insisted no other weapons were being withheld.

“We genuinely do not know what he’s talking about,” Ms Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.

Mr Netanyahu’s comments were an attempt to remove the block on a single weapons consignment announced by the White House last month over the way the arms were being used in Gaza

His office published a video in which he rebuked the US, saying he had told Mr Blinken it was “inconceivable” that weapons and ammunition had been withheld “in the past few months”.

Speaking in English, Mr Netanyahu’s comments were clearly aimed at Mr Blinken. The video was released an hour before the US secretary of state planned to hold a news conference in Washington and appeared to be an attempt by Mr Netanyahu to grab the agenda.

“America’s closest ally, fighting for its life,” he said of Israel.

Mr Netanyahu said Mr Blinken, who visited Israel last week, assured him he was “working day and night to remove the bottlenecks”.

At the news conference, held in Washington, Mr Blinken confirmed the administration was continuing to hold back a consignment of bombs from Israel over concerns about their use in urban areas of Gaza, but that the issue remained under review.

He faced repeated questions from reporters over exactly what he had told Mr Netanyahu, but he wouldn’t be drawn on what he called a diplomatic conversation.

Mr Netanyahu has frequently tried to appeal to his domestic nationalist base by claiming a unique ability among Israeli politicians to extract concessions from US leaders.

Controversy over the US supplying arms to Israel has grown in America and Europe along with the scale of destruction in Gaza, while the issue has become a lightning rod for protest and dissent. Mr Netanyahu has adamantly opposed any moves to reduce arms supply.

Source BBC