President Joe Biden has, as Israel begins its operation into Gaza following the horrific and bloody Hamas attacks on Israel, stuck by his administration’s decision to send humanitarian aid to Gaza to help care for those Palestinians left destitute, homeless, and out of food and water by Israel’s retaliatory campaign. Sen. J. D. Vance of Ohio has come out swinging against that decision.
Announcing the aid over a week ago, President Biden said, “Today I am also announcing $100 million in new U.S. funding for humanitarian assistance in both Gaza and the West Bank. This money will support more than one million displaced in the conflict affecting Palestinians including emergency needs in Gaza.”
Continuing, he added, “Let me be clear, if Hamas diverts or steals the assistance, they will have demonstrated once again that they have no concern for the welfare of the Palestinian people, and it will end. As a practical matter, it will stop the international community from being able to provide this aid.”
Sen. Vance attacked the humanitarian aid idea during a weekend appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” during which he expressed concern over the idea that the aid could end up in the hands of Hamas fighters, thus lengthening the war, not helping those who need help, and indirectly providing aid to terrorists.
Beginning, Sen. Vance said, “I think there’s still a lot of evidence with a lot of these international organizations that when we send aid into Gaza, a lot of it goes into the wrong hands. And that’s what those of us who are critical of the president’s posture are really worrying about.”
Continuing, the Ohio Senator further explained the reasoning behind those who are against the aid, saying, “We don’t want to basically fund two sides of the exact same conflict. Fund Hamas. Fund Israel. It seems like a really bad deal for American taxpayers. Most of all it’s just stupid.”
Sen. Vance made it clear that his objection isn’t to helping Gazan civilians, but rather to providing aid that will, he thinks, likely fall into the hands of Hamas. He said, “If I could wave a magic wand and give aid to the Palestinian children, I will. But given the realities on the ground, I think we divert resources to Gaza, it’s going to fall in the wrong hands.”
Further emphasizing his point that America shouldn’t be providing aid that will potentially end up in the hands of the terrorist organization, Sen. Vance said, “We can’t assume that just because it flows to an international organization it’s going to go to the kids and not to the fighters.”
Watch him here:
Sen. @JDVance1 (R-OH) says he does not "trust" that aid intended for Palestinians will reach the people, and it could end up in "the wrong hands" with Hamas.
"If I could wave a magic wand and give aid to Palestinian children, I will," he says. pic.twitter.com/riO1XloV4I
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) October 29, 2023
Vance is far from the only one in the GOP to put Biden on blast for the aid decision. Former President Trump, giving his thoughts on the matter, said, “I think right now, it’s totally inappropriate. It’s so inappropriate to be doing that right now. He’s over in Israel and he’s giving money to the Palestinians. I think it’s very inappropriate.”
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