Opposition MKs send ‘deep regret’ to Biden for PM blaming ’embargo’ for IDF deaths
Lawmakers pen letter thanking former US president for post-Oct. 7 support, say he is ‘one of Israel’s greatest friends’; senior Israeli security officials said ‘furious’ with PM’s claim
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Opposition lawmakers Gilad Kariv, Alon Schuster and Ram Ben Barak on Wednesday penned a letter to former US president Joe Biden expressing their “deep regret over the inappropriate and untruthful remarks” made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a press conference the night before, when he claimed that an arms “embargo” under the previous US administration led to the deaths of IDF soldiers in Gaza.
In remarks unprompted by a question, Netanyahu asserted that the purported arms embargo directly caused the deaths of Israeli “heroes” — soldiers in the Gaza battlefield who lost their lives because, “at a certain stage” of the war, the IDF ran out of the ammunition they required. The allegation was unprecedented, and the IDF’s multiple war probes have not included any such findings.
“Millions of Israelis profoundly value the longstanding partnership between you and the State of Israel and your friendship with its people — a relationship grounded in shared democratic values and a deep moral bond,” wrote the lawmakers from Labor, Blue and White, and Yesh Atid, respectively.
“We remain especially grateful for your immediate, dramatic and unprecedented support of Israel following the brutal Hamas attack of October 7th [2023], including vital military, financial and diplomatic assistance, as well as your personal and decisive efforts that contributed significantly to the release of hostages and the saving of innocent lives,” they wrote.
“Your leadership and compassion during our darkest hours will not be forgotten. Please know that the words spoken by Prime Minister Netanyahu do not reflect the views or the spirit of large segments of Israeli society and the Jewish people around the world, nor do they diminish our appreciation for your steadfast commitment to Israel’s security and to the pursuit of peace,” they continued.
“Your name and legacy are written on Israel’s wall of fame, and you will be known forever as one of Israel’s greatest friends and allies,” said the lawmakers. “With respect and gratitude, and with the words of the Priestly Blessing: ‘May God bless you and keep you.'”
Biden has not commented on Netanyahu’s claim, though when he was in office, his administration denied the premier’s previous allegations that the US had placed an “embargo” on arms shipments to Israel, saying that it had only withheld one batch of 2,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs amid concerns about how they would be used in the southern Gaza city of Rafah at that time.
נתניהו משקר ומכפיש. אנחנו אומרים תודה.
יחד עם חברי להובלת השדולה לביטחון אזורי, ח"כ אלון שוסטר וח"כ רם בן ברק, הוצאנו מכתב לנשיא ארה"ב לשעבר ג'ו ביידן בו הסתייגנו מדברי השקר וההבל של נתניהו ביחס לתמיכה שהתקבלה מארה"ב במהלך המלחמה תחת נשיאותו של ביידן.במכתב ביטאנו את הכרת התודה… pic.twitter.com/wmmwhpjaFy
— גלעד קריב (@KarivGilad) January 28, 2026
Since Tuesday night, former Biden White House officials have disputed the claim, with former top aide Amos Hochstein telling Axios: “Netanyahu is both not telling the truth and ungrateful to a president that literally saved Israel at its most vulnerable moment.”
Hochstein was joined by fellow top Biden aide Brett McGurk, who told Axios: “That statement by Netanyahu is categorically false.”
Former US ambassador to Israel Tom Nides, who served under Biden, also took issue with Netanyahu’s statement, telling Ynet: “He is wrong. Biden’s support for Israel has been rock solid, and he did it at enormous political cost.”
Senior defense officials ‘furious’ with premier’s claim – report
Adding to the criticism of Netanyahu’s claim, Channel 12 reported Wednesday that several senior Israeli defense officials were “furious” with the premier’s comments.
According to the sources quoted in the report, Netanyahu, in his attempt to “hurt Biden, actually hurt the IDF.”
“Ammunition is always a scarce resource,” the sources said. “It’s worth examining how in previous years, every time we talked to the prime minister about building the IDF’s strength, about tank shells and ammunition for the ground forces, he didn’t want to hear about it at all. He belittled it. He told us over and over again: ‘You don’t understand future wars’ and ‘the next wars will be keyboard wars.'”
“The IDF did manage an arms economy,” the sources continued, “but when the prime minister says that soldiers fell due to a lack of ammunition, it is emotional manipulation.”
“There has never been a war in which the IDF fought with such a strong stockpile of firepower,” they added.
The Times of Israel Community.