From the Liveblog of
Sunday, May 19, 2024
US Republican lawmaker at Knesset: ‘No excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel’
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
US Rep. Elise Stefanik slams US President Joe Biden during a meeting of the Knesset Caucus for Jewish and Pro-Israel Students on Campuses Around the World.
“I have been clear at home and I will be clear here: There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel — aid that was duly passed by the Congress — or to ease sanctions on Iran, paying a $6 billion ransom to the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, or to dither and hide while our friends fight for their lives,” she says. “No excuse. Full stop.”
In contrast with her criticism of Biden, Stefanik, one of the highest-ranking Republicans in the House, praises former US president Donald Trump, whom she lauds for his “historic support for Israeli independence and security.”
“The majority of Americans support you and we always will – since president Truman’s recognition of Israel 11 minutes after David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s independence 76 years and 5 days ago, America stands with Israel,” she says.
