Biden backs Israel but fails to defend record as critics source attack to his Middle East policies

Charles Hurt , Clifford D. May & Gene Marks

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An Iranian-backed militant group’s surprise attack on Israel has put President Biden’s Middle East policies front and center, with critics saying he should take accountability for the attack.

Conservative critics, including former President Donald Trump and lawmakers in the House and Senate, have gone on the offensive against the president, claiming that his Middle Eastern policy decisions emboldened Hamas and its primary backer Iran.

The Jewish state was hit with a surprise blitz from the terrorist group early Saturday morning, which has left over 200 Israelis dead. The Israeli military also confirmed that numerous civilians and Israeli soldiers have been taken hostage by Hamas in Gaza.

Mr. Biden did not address any of the criticism lobbed his way during remarks given from the White House Saturday afternoon. The president did reaffirm the commitment he made to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would “never fail” to have Israel’s back.

“Israel has the right to defend itself and its people full stop,” Mr. Biden said. “There’s never a justification for terrorist attacks. In my administration the support for Israel security is rock solid and unwavering.”

Mr. Biden continued, “Let me say this as clearly as I can: This is not a moment for any party hostile to Israel to exploit these attacks to seek advantage. The world is watching.”

The main point of contention for many is a prisoner swap deal with Iran brokered by the Biden administration in September. The Biden administration vowed to unfreeze $6 billion in oil revenues that had previously been frozen by sanctions against the country in exchange for the prisoners.

The expectation was that the funds would be used for humanitarian aid. However, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi told NBC News last month that the country would use the money “wherever we need it.”

Victoria Coates, former deputy national security adviser for the Middle East under the Trump administration, said that Iran had been starved of resources because of sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump.

“If you unfreeze funds, if you let them sell oil, they spend that money on violent mayhem in the region, and they spend that money on attacks on Israel,” Mrs. Coates told Fox News.

Mr. Trump condemned the attacks, calling them a disgrace and supporting Israel to “defend itself with full force.”

“Sadly, American taxpayer dollars helped fund these attacks, which many reports are saying came from the Biden Administration,” Mr. Trump said.

Others are calling for Mr. Biden to be held culpable for the attack.

“The Biden Administration must be held accountable for its appeasement of these Hamas terrorists, including handing over billions of dollars to them and their Iranian backers,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana.

Meanwhile, the administration has labeled the outcry from conservatives as a disinformation campaign, and contends that none of the $6 billion, which was intended to be transferred from South Korean bank accounts to accounts in Qatar, has actually been spent.

National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson disputed money was put toward Hamas, saying on X that “not a single cent from these funds has been spent.”

“When it is spent, it can only be spent on things like food and medicine for the Iranian people,” Ms. Watson said. “These funds have absolutely nothing to do with the horrific attacks today and this is not the time to spread disinformation.”