Republican legislators around the country including Representatives Brian Mast (R-FL) and Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) are distraught by President Joe Biden’s (D) phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in which he urged him to “work toward a ceasefire.”
The President’s statement can be read below.
Today, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu to emphasize that strikes on aid workers and the humanitarian situation in Gaza are unacceptable.
Israel must implement steps to address civilian harm and the safety of workers – and work toward a ceasefire to bring hostages home. pic.twitter.com/c7yB0jwq06
— President Biden (@POTUS) April 4, 2024
“Today, I spoke with Prime Minister Netanyahu to emphasize that strikes on aid workers and the humanitarian situation in Gaza are unacceptable. Israel must implement steps to address civilian harm and the safety of workers – and work toward a ceasefire to bring hostages home,” said President Biden.
Rep. Crenshaw disagreed with a series of points questioning Biden’s call to action.
Let’s put this idea of a ceasefire into perspective. You want Israel to stop fighting against an enemy that has no intention of ever stopping. There was a ceasefire, Oct 6. Then what happened on Oct 7? The biggest massacre of Israelis in recent history. https://t.co/sKBK4pYaP2
— Rep. Dan Crenshaw (@RepDanCrenshaw) April 5, 2024
Let’s put this idea of a ceasefire into perspective. You want Israel to stop fighting against an enemy that has no intention of ever stopping. There was a ceasefire, Oct 6. Then what happened on Oct 7? The biggest massacre of Israelis in recent history,” said Rep. Crenshaw.
Rep. Mast, a former U.S. Army soldier and Israeli Defense Forces fighter described President Biden’s call for a ceasefire as an “appeasement” to the left wing of the Democratic Party.
“Joe Biden is trying to appease far-left lunatics by demanding Israel accept a ceasefire with terrorists,” said Rep. Mast. “Yet again, Biden is putting lives at risk in a desperate attempt to boost his poll numbers. We cannot abandon our best ally in the Middle East.”
Finally, Speaker Johnson wondered why Biden is not calling upon Hamas to push for a ceasefire, not Israel.
The president’s ultimatums should be going to Hamas, not Israel.
Hamas resisted a ceasefire, brought about needless bloodshed, and refuses to release Israeli and American hostages.
Biden should not undercut our ally amidst an existential threat by conditioning our support.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) April 5, 2024
“The president’s ultimatums should be going to Hamas, not Israel. Hamas resisted a ceasefire, brought about needless bloodshed, and refuses to release Israeli and American hostages. Biden should not undercut our ally amidst an existential threat by conditioning our support,” said Speaker Johnson.
Recently, Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX) accused the United States of attempting to “Play both sides of the coin” after the U.S. abstained from voting to approve a ceasefire resolution in late March.
“But what the United States has done is essentially, is split the baby, which might be a term,” said Rep. Sessions. They’re trying to play both sides of the coin, but it’s very obvious to me and I think anybody in Washington, that the Democratic Party has been infiltrated by not only the Palestinians but this issue that is really where their whole party is. And so the President’s tried to struggle with that in his foreign policy.”
This is a developing story.
