Top Biden ally signals openness to backing conditions on Israel military aid

DAVOS, Switzerland — Senator Chris Coons is open to imposing conditions on future military aid to Israel, a sign that pressure is growing on U.S. President Joe Biden to punish the Middle Eastern ally over its deadly ground assault in Gaza.

Coons’ stance, articulated for the first time during an interview with POLITICO, could prove a headache for Biden. The senator is seen as the president’s unofficial emissary and closest ally in the Senate. Coons’ openness to conditioning arms sales to Israel could lead to more questions about why the White House isn’t pursuing that option.

The senator has been critical of the Israeli government’s handling of the retaliation against Hamas, but hadn’t gone so far as to openly question future aid to the country.

He crossed that line, just barely, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum. “There are conditions on our aid,” he said, alluding to the numerous laws and policies surrounding arms transfers, including a Biden administration directive restricting transfers to foreign countries when it is more likely than not that it would lead to a serious violation of human rights or humanitarian law.

Coons, like the White House, opposes a resolution introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders compelling a State Department report on whether U.S.-made weapons were used to violate human rights during the Israel-Hamas war. A vote on that could come as soon as this week.

But Delaware Democrat Coons signaled he’d consider supporting “a resolution differently configured with a different timeline and focus.” The senator made sure to note, however, that, “I will continue to speak out and vote to recognize and defend Israel’s obligation to defend itself against Hamas.”

Coons’ patience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government has worn thin.

He called Netanyahu an "exceptionally difficult partner” in December, and tensions between the U.S. and Israel have only grown since. Israel insists it’s about to turn toward a less intense, more targeted phase of military operations — a shift the Biden administration hopes will save lives in Gaza and alleviate suffering for the enclave’s 2.3 million people.

The U.S. pushed for that change to happen by the end of last year, but now it seems more likely before January is out.

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken will soon arrive in glitzy Davos and are expected to discuss Biden’s plans for addressing the Israel-Hamas war.