On Oct. 20, President Biden requested funding from Congress that is vital to America’s national security.
Congress’s swift support will allow us to continue aiding Ukraine as it defends its democracy, its land and its people against Russia’s war of aggression. It will strengthen our hand in an intensifying strategic competition with China. And it will ensure we can help Israel defend itself, while aiding Palestinian civilians caught in a cross-fire of Hamas’s making.
Taken together, this investment will show the United States’ unwavering resolve in standing with our allies and partners, standing up to autocrats and terrorists, and standing for an international order that safeguards America’s interests and values.
Some in Congress are making the case to fund only parts of the president’s request, including proposals to cut out all humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.
That would be a grave mistake.
It will deepen the suffering of more than 2 million Palestinian civilians — including women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations — who have nothing to do with Hamas’s deplorable attacks. It will undercut Israel’s security and regional stability. And it will worsen problems and risks that will end up costing American taxpayers many magnitudes more over time.
From the moment Hamas slaughtered more than 1,400 people in Israel, including at least 35 U.S. citizens, and took more than 230 hostages, President Biden has consistently affirmed Israel’s right — indeed, its obligation — to defend itself and prevent Hamas from carrying out such an attack ever again.
The president has made clear that the United States will ensure Israel has what it needs to defend its people against all threats, including from Iran and its proxy groups. The security assistance in our supplemental request will allow us to deliver on that commitment.
At the same time, the way Israel defends itself matters.
Palestinian civilians are not to blame for Hamas’s atrocities or for the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are its victims. As with civilians in any conflict, the lives of Palestinian civilians must be protected. Preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is vital to Israel’s security. Without swift and sustained humanitarian relief, the conflict is much more likely to spread, suffering will grow, and Hamas and its sponsors will benefit by fashioning themselves as saviors amid the very desperation they created.
That means the flow of food, water, medicine, fuel and other essential humanitarian aid into Gaza must increase — immediately and significantly. It means Palestinian civilians must be able to stay out of harm’s way. It means every possible precaution must be taken to safeguard humanitarian sites. And it means humanitarian pauses must be considered for these purposes.
Abiding by these standards is difficult in any conflict, much less when confronting an enemy that cynically and monstrously uses civilians as human shields and launches rockets from hospitals, schools and residential buildings.
Despite these challenges, preventing a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is vital to Israel’s security.
Without swift and sustained humanitarian relief, the conflict is much more likely to spread, suffering will grow, and Hamas and its sponsors will benefit by fashioning themselves as saviors amid the very desperation they created. And the deepening crisis will undermine the possibility of further integration between Israel and its neighbors.
Providing immediate aid and protection for Palestinian civilians in the conflict is also a necessary foundation for finding partners in Gaza who have a different vision for the future than Hamas — and who are willing to help make it real. We can’t find those partners if they are consumed by a humanitarian catastrophe and alienated by our perceived indifference to their plight.
In sum, protecting Palestinian civilians and facilitating humanitarian assistance are not only the right things for Israel to do — but they will also advance its long-term security. That’s why Israel’s leaders have made clear to President Biden and to members of Congress alike that they support the United States’ provision of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.
