Senators bombard Blinken over administration’s Israel policy

SRN NEWS: Biden administration taking hits from both sides on Israel Policy

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken faced criticism from the right and left over Israel policy in Congress on Tuesday, with Republicans accusing the Biden administration of failing Israel and Democrats saying it’s doing too little to help civilians in Gaza.

Furious protesters interrupted Blinken as he began his testimony before two committees in the Democratic-controlled Senate, calling him a war criminal and accusing him of involvement in genocide.

At the first hearing, before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Blinken flinched from a protester who approached him from behind, waving a sign that said “criminal,” before security officers carried her out of the room.

Blinken reiterated the support of President Joe Biden’s administration for Israel, but insisted it was focused on easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and opposed an Israeli assault on Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza where over 1 million displaced people had taken shelter.

“When it comes to making sure that Israel has everything it needs to defend itself, no one has, no one will do more than President Biden,” Blinken said, pushing back against Republican accusations that Washington’s pause on a weapons shipment to Israel was weakening it in its war against the Hamas militant group that rules the enclave.

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