Democratic US Sen. Chris Coons, a close ally of President Joe Biden, expressed his openness to applying conditions to aid for Israel for the first time. This decision comes after an Israeli military strike resulted in the tragic deaths of seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen in Gaza earlier this week.
During an interview with CNN, Sen. Coons stated that he believes the situation has reached a critical juncture. He emphasized that both President Biden and himself, along with others, have made it clear that if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were to order a significant military operation without regard for civilians or humanitarian aid, he would support conditioning aid to Israel.
Sen. Coons, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, acknowledged the gravity of his statement by highlighting that he had never taken such a stance before. He stressed the importance of maintaining a strong and close relationship with Israel but also underscored that Netanyahu's recent actions do not align with the core values of either Israel or the United States.
These remarks from Sen. Coons coincide with President Biden's upcoming conversation with Prime Minister Netanyahu, where he is expected to convey his frustration over the tragic incident involving the aid workers. The dialogue between the two leaders is anticipated to address the need for accountability and the importance of upholding humanitarian principles in times of conflict.
