US EYES ACCELERATED $14BN FUNDING PACKAGE FOR ISRAEL TO “DEFEND ITSELF”

The US has stepped up its efforts to push forward with a funding package for Israel that has been blocked, even though it has made it clear that it will not support any counteroffensive against Iran.

In a phone call late on Sunday, President Joe Biden informed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US would not engage in any kind of retaliation for Iran’s airstrike.

The growing hostilities in the Middle East are likely to accelerate the passage of a long-stalled funding plan that would see Washington provide Netanyahu $14 billion in aid.

“We believe Israel has freedom of action to protect itself and defend itself … That’s a longstanding policy and that remains, but no, we would not envision ourselves participating in such a thing,” a senior US administration official said on Sunday.

The Iranian attack, which came in response to a strike – as yet unclaimed by Israel – on Iran’s embassy in Syria on April 1, saw more than 300 missiles and drones launched towards Israel. However, it caused only modest damage, with most shot down by Israel, with help from the US, the United Kingdom, France and Jordan.

Following a new plea from Biden, Republican lawmaker and House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Sunday that he will try to advance the $95bn package of wartime aid for US allies.

Johnson has been key in holding up approval of the national security package, which would hand $14bn to Israel and about $60bn to Ukraine, as well as sending funds to allies in Asia.

Johnson told Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures that he and Republicans “understand the necessity of standing with Israel” and he would try this week to advance the aid.

“The details of that package are being put together right now,” he said. “We’re looking at the options and all these supplemental issues.”

John Kirby, the White House’s top national security spokesperson, sought to set out the US position clearly in an interview on the NBC channel on Sunday.

“Our commitment is ironclad” to defending Israel and to “helping Israel defend itself”, he said, before adding: “As the president has said many times, we don’t seek a wider war in the region. We don’t seek a war with Iran.”