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Northern Flare-Up Heightens Importance of Stalled U.S. Arms Flow

(Jerusalem Post) Herb Keinon - U.S. agreement to go ahead with a massive arms deal that includes F-15 fighter jets, air-to-air missiles, and JDAM kits that turn "dumb" bombs into precision-guided ones would send a strong signal to Hizbullah and Iran of continued U.S. military support for Israel, despite disagreements over how the war is being waged in Gaza. The knowledge that the U.S. is resupplying Israel may convince those in Lebanon with Hizbullah ties that reaching a diplomatic solution is preferable to escalating hostilities. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he raised the subject with Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his recent visit, adding that Blinken "assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that's the case. It should be the case. Israel, America's closest ally, [is] fighting for its life, fighting against Iran and our other common enemies." Israel's enemies are watching to see if America is slowing down its supply of arms, something that could lead to a fatal miscalculation on their part. A perception that the U.S. does not militarily have Israel's back may very well lead Hizbullah and Iran to a degree of adventurism they would not embark on were they certain that the security relationship between the two countries has not been adversely affected. Netanyahu's urgent plea to the U.S. also has to do with the recent escalation in the North and the need for Israel to have its weapons stockpiles refilled in case it needs to turn from the war in Gaza to a major military campaign in Lebanon. Netanyahu said in his video: "During World War II, Churchill told the United States, 'Give us the tools; we'll do the job.' And I say, give us the tools and we'll finish the job a lot faster." Israel is not asking for the U.S. to fight on its behalf, but only for the wherewithal to do so itself.
2024-06-20 00:00:00
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