From the Liveblog of
Thursday, May 9, 2024
War, security cabinets to meet this evening on response to US munitions holdup
Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter
The war cabinet is slated to meet this evening at 6:30 p.m., followed by the national security cabinet at 8:30 p.m.
The forums will determine Israel’s reaction to US President Joe Biden’s decision to withhold munitions that could be used in a major Israeli offensive in Rafah, an Israeli official tells The Times of Israel.
Broadly speaking, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s position is what he told Biden in their Monday phone call — “We will fight with our fingernails if we have to,” says the official.
Channel 12 reports that this quote was from a cabinet meeting, not Netanyahu’s call with Biden.
According to Kan, Biden warned Netanyahu during the call that the US would hold up weapons shipments if Israel goes into Rafah.
Israel has already begun working through a number of channels to push Biden to change course, adds the official.
The Times of Israel Community.