US announces Israel aid plan as Iran conflict deescalates
The United States announced its $13 billion military aid plan for Israel on April 20th despite tensions between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and also during a period where Iran and Israel appear to step back from broader conflict, the New Arab and agencies reported.
The approval on behalf of the US House of Representatives aims to bolster Israel’s military assistance — specifically, its Iron Dome defence system.
Netanyahu welcomed the aid bill, commending its demonstration of ” strong bipartisan support for Israel and defends Western civilisation,” he wrote on X.
This support follows an April 4th phone call during which Biden warned Netanyahu that US support hinged on improvements in Gaza. Additionally, Biden added on April 14th that the US would not aid Israel in further retaliation against Iran.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the US’s initiative as both a “dangerous escalation” and “an aggression against the Palestinian people.” Nabil Abu Rudeina, Abbas’s spokesman, said that the aid translates “into thousands of Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip.”
READ: Israeli war cabinet delays decision on Iran retaliation
Prior to this aid plan, US House of Representatives Democrat Gregory Meeks alleged that he was determined to prevent an Israel aid plan until he received information on what the weaponry would be used for, wanting to prevent “more death.”
Yet the US snubbed Palestine on April 18th, when it vetoed a UN vote to recognise a Palestinian State — a decision that Abbas called “unfair, unethical and unjustified.”
Israel has faced increasing global opposition over its military offensive in Gaza. The IDF retreated from Gaza on April 7th, though Netanyahu has since teased a start date for further offensive action in Rafah.
Iranian political expert Hamid Gholamzadeh said that Netanyahu needs “further escalation and another war to distract […] world attention” away from Gaza.
Israel allegedly attacked Iran on April 19th, when Iranian media reported “three explosions” close to Qahjavarestan, near Isfahan airport and the 8th Shekari army air base.
READ: “Death to Israel!”: Jubilant Iranians applaud retaliation strikes
Israel had been cautioned repeatedly not to proceed with any retaliatory action.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron took to X on April 11th, warning against the “potential for miscalculation leading to further violence.” “Iran should instead work to de-escalate and prevent further attacks,” he added. He reiterated his concern on April 15th, urging Israel to “be smart as well as tough.”
Though Iran downplayed these alleged attacks, squashing fears of an escalation in general violence in the Middle East.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian told NBC News the following day that “what happened last night was no attack” and instead “was the flight of two or three quadcopters, which are at the level of toys that our children use in Iran.”
“As long as there is no new adventure on behalf of the Israeli regime against Iran’s interests,” he added, “we will have no response.”
A US congressional source told AFP that no Israeli officials commented on the alleged strikes against Iran.
The New Arab and agencies
