‘Angry’ Biden not changing Israel policy after deadly strike on aid workers

The Biden administration has no plans to change its policy toward Israel after the ally’s forces killed seven humanitarian aid workers.

President Joe Biden was privately enraged by the deadly strike and in a public statement upbraided Israel for it, calling for “accountability” to those responsible and demanding more humanitarian assistance be allowed into Gaza.

But two senior administration officials said that is as far as he and the White House will go for now.

“That’s all we have planned,” said one of the officials, who like others was granted anonymity to speak candidly about administration planning or internal reactions.

It’s the latest example of the United States criticizing Israel’s conduct of the war against Hamas while remaining reluctant to use its leverage to force a change. Biden has stood with Israel as it aims for the military defeat of Hamas, resisting calls from progressives and pro-Palestinian voices to condition military aid or impose other restrictions. Such moves would break, rather than bend, the relationship with Israel, the administration argues. And they would end any sway the U.S. has with Israel over protecting civilian

That has caused fissures within the Biden administration. “It’s just rinse and repeat with the Israelis. The American political system can’t or won’t draw a real line with them and that is regrettable,” said a senior U.S. official.

National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby confirmed Wednesday the U.S. is planning…   no imminent shift in its Israel approach. “We are still supporting their right to defend themselves and we’re going to continue to do that. We’re also going to see what the result of the investigation is,” he said on a call with reporters after prompting by POLITICO, adding “I’m not going to get ahead of decisions that haven’t been made yet.”

In his statement Tuesday night, Biden was stern. “Israel has not done enough to protect aid workers trying to deliver desperately needed help to civilians.” He added: “Incidents like yesterday’s simply should not happen.

Israel has also not done enough to protect civilians.”

A second senior administration official expanded on Biden’s message: “The strike on humanitarian aid — at a time when Israel had recently agreed to do more to get aid into northern Gaza — is deeply problematic.”