A group of Republican senators led by Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., are introducing legislation Thursday to redirect funds bound for Gaza to instead help replenish Israeli\u2019s defensive \u2018Iron Dome\u2019 system.<\/p>\n
The bill, which has 10 Republican co-sponsors as of Thursday morning, would require President Biden to transfer \u2018all unexpected balances of appropriations made available to Gaza to the Department of Defense, to be available for grants to Israel for the Iron Dome short-rage rocket defend system.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018In the wake of Iran-backed Hamas\u2019s savage attack on Israel in which over 1,300 people in Israel were murdered, including 30 Americans, and as Iran-backed Hamas terrorists continue to launch missiles and rockets into Israel, the American people have seen the images of Israel\u2019s Iron Dome missile defense systems repeatedly intercepting rockets and saving the lives of countless civilians,\u2019 Hagerty told Fox News Digital. \u2018My legislation requires the Biden Administration to halt U.S. foreign assistance from going to Hamas terrorist-dominated areas and instead to redirect these resources to help Israel resupply its life-saving Iron Dome interceptors.\u00a0The United States should unequivocally support the right of Israel to defend itself from terrorists.\u2019<\/p>\n
Some U.S. officials are worried that Israeli\u2019s defensive Iron Dome system could be stretched thin if the war with Hamas continues to escalate, a fear that would become even more dire if Hezbollah were to enter the conflict.<\/p>\n
\u2018Israel is taking action right now to defend itself and its people. America cannot let Israel stand alone,\u2019 Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., a co-sponsor of the bill, told Fox News Digital. \u2018The United States must ensure Israel has the weapons and the military assistance needed to fight any and all terrorist threats. The Iron Dome is the first line of defense for Israel. It is critical to replenish this vital missile defense system so it can remain effective and operational.\u2019\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., another co-sponsor of the legislation, argued the U.S.-backed Iron Dome system is \u2018critical\u2019 to Israel\u2019s ability to defend its civilian population.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Iron Dome is of critical importance for Israel as it defends innocent civilians against the barbaric brutality of Hamas\u2019 terrorist attacks and lives with the reality of additional threats every day,\u2019 Britt told Fox News Digital. \u2018The United States stands strongly with Israel\u2014our great ally, friend, and partner.\u2019<\/p>\n
The bill comes the same day as President Biden\u2019s planned Oval Office address, set for 8 p.m. ET, with the president expected to make the case to Americans that it is critical to U.S. national security to continue military support for both Ukraine and Israel in the coming months.<\/p>\n
Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., another co-sponsor of the bill, argued that the president has insisted on sending aid to Gaza that should be redirected to Israel.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Biden Administration insists on sending foreign assistance to Gaza, while Hamas steals it to fund weapons to kill Israelis and Americans,\u2019 Hawley told Fox News Digital. \u2018Congress must act to redirect these funds to Israel to help restock their critical missile defense systems.\u2019<\/p>\n
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., another bill co-sponsor, echoed concerns about funding to Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u2018Now more than ever, the U.S. must stand in support with our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel,\u2019 Rubio told Fox News Digital. \u2018Instead of providing assistance to Gaza, the Biden Administration must ensure any taxpayer funds are used to support Israel\u2019s Iron Dome to defend its citizens from the savagery of Iran-backed Hamas.\u2019<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., argued that the U.S. has a \u2018moral obligation\u2019 to make sure Israel has the ability to defend itself.<\/p>\n
\u2018In the face of such unspeakable attacks, we have a moral obligation to ensure Israel, one of our strongest allies, has the ability to properly defend its people,\u2019 Lummis, a co-sponsor of the bill, told Fox News Digital. \u2018Now more than ever, it\u2019s critical we help fortify the cornerstone of Israel\u2019s defense system to make sure Israel can defend itself from terrorists.\u2019<\/p>\n
The bill redirecting funds is also co-sponsored by Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas; Thom Tillis, R-N.C.; Rick Scott, R-Fla.; and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., with Tuberville arguing that all foreign assistance to Gaza should be halted.<\/p>\n
\u2018The Hamas and Iran-orchestrated terror attacks we have seen in Israel are pure evil,\u2019 Tuberville told Fox News Digital. \u2018Israel must wipe Hamas from the face of the earth and ensure that this never happens again. As Israel continues to fight and kill terrorists, the United States has a strategic interest in supporting Israel and supplying Israel. We should immediately stop all foreign assistance to Hamas-controlled Gaza and redirect those funds to the Iron Dome, which has saved countless Israeli civilian lives.\u2019<\/p>\n
Reached for comment by Fox News Digital, a National Security Council spokesperson said that \u2018U.S. assistance for Palestinians does not go to or through Hamas\u2019 and that the State Department \u2018has rigorous oversight over UNRWA policies, programs, and finances \u2013 including through the completion of an annual report to Congress on key UNRWA issues, such as quarterly assessments of UNRWA facilities, potential misconduct by UNRWA staff or beneficiaries, and compliance with section 301(c) of the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018The United States provides funding for essential and life-saving humanitarian assistance to Palestinian refugees through vetted international and non-governmental organizations,\u2019 the spokesperson said. \u2018These organizations fill a critical role in providing assistance that would otherwise be filled by terrorist organizations like Hamas. Our trusted partners and beneficiaries are subject to extensive vetting and oversight procedures to help prevent assistance from flowing to individuals or organizations that are affiliated with terrorists.\u2019<\/p>\n
The spokesperson pointed to remarks Biden has made throughout the month, including directing his team to ensure that Israel had everything they needed for the Iron Dome.<\/p>\n
\u2018We\u2019re surging additional military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish Iron Dome,\u2019 Biden said last week. \u2018We\u2019re going to make sure that Israel does not run out of these critical assets to defend its cities and its citizens.\u2019<\/p>\n
The spokesperson also noted that Biden has given assurances that aid would not continue if it fell into the hands of Hamas.<\/p>\n
\u2018If Hamas confiscates it or doesn\u2019t let it get through or just confiscates it, then it\u2019s going to end, because we\u2019re not going to be sending any humanitarian aid to Hamas if they\u2019re going to be confiscating it,\u2019\u00a0Biden said Wednesday. \u2018That\u2019s the commitment that I\u2019ve made.\u2019<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Deputy White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates pointed out that the \u2018vast majority of the Palestinian people are not Hamas.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u2018There is strong, bipartisan support for President Biden\u2019s efforts to deliver humanitarian necessities to the people of Gaza \u2013 like food, water, and medicine \u2013 without benefiting Hamas,\u2019 Bates said.<\/p>\n