- The Washington Times - Thursday, May 9, 2024

Sen. Rick Scott bashed President Biden Thursday for threatening to withhold weapons from Israel, saying he’s now a part of the “pro-Hamas” group of Democrats.

“All he cares about is his election,” Mr. Scott, Florida Republican, said on “FOX & Friends.” “So he has got a pro-Hamas group in the Democratic Party and he is part of it now.”

Mr. Biden said Wednesday he would pause the shipment of weapons to Israel if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a new invasion in Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

“I’ve made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone into Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities — to deal with the problem,” Mr. Biden said in a CNN interview.

He said “civilians have been killed in Gaza” as a result of the 2,000-pound bombs that his administration suspended shipments of last week.

Mr. Scott said the president’s comments were “disgusting” and mentioned his recent trip to Israel.

“They have to go within, that’s where Hamas battalions are left in Rafah,” he said. “Would we leave [Osama] bin Laden in a corner and just pull back? Because the rest of the world didn’t like the way we’re fighting the war? And [Israel is] all committed to making sure they give the civilians plenty of time to get out of Rafah.”

He suggested that the U.S. would be responding the same way as Israel if the country was attacked. He said the president’s actions show he is “clearly on Hamas’ side.”

“He wanted the aid so he could give it to Gaza, which it goes to Hamas,” he said. “And then we saw yesterday, [United Nations Relief and Works Agency] is stealing the aid and selling it.”

Mr. Scott said Mr. Biden only cared about securing more aid for Ukraine and Gaza when he was pushing for the supplemental foreign aid package.

“All he wanted was Ukraine [military] aid. That’s all he cared about, and humanitarian [aid for Gaza],” he said. “He got it. He didn’t believe in Israel aid.”

The foreign aid package included $26 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for conflict zones, including Gaza

• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.

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