On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s” Out Front”, House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith ( D- WA ) stated that while Israel can launch a major offensive in Rafah without new American weapons, whether Israel can “adequately deter all of the different entities who want to attack it, Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, various other militia groups without that support” is” a much tougher question”.
Smith said,” Prime Minister Netanyahu has put Israel, the U. S., and the whole Middle East in a very tricky area. We do not want to withdraw support from Israel, at least I do n’t and the president does n’t. If we are unable to assist Israel in defending itself, as we saw when Iran attacked Israel a few weeks ago, Iran and Hezbollah decide to join forces with them in that situation. Prime Minister Netanyahu is also pursuing a technique that neither serves Israel’s best interests nor does it serve the serenity of Israel. He does n’t have a strategy for a post-Hamas Gaza. The senator has tried everything to alter that, so he has tried everything. However, we really do n’t have the authority to simply make them do something, and as I mentioned, abandoning them poses a serious threat to regional peace as well. That’s what President Biden’s trying to navigate”.
Guest Erin Burnett then asked, “]C] an Israel go it alone, even if it’s using stockpiled U. S. arms, but can they do it, could they do a big offensive in Rafah without further fresh U. S. weaponry”?
Smith answered,” Yeah, completely. That is definitely possible. The better question is, was Israel effectively deter all of the various companies who want to strike it, Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthis, several other militia organizations without that help? That’s a far tougher issue. Well, Israel could go into Rafah without U. S. help, no problem about it”.
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