CNN –
President Joe Biden has linked the wars in Ukraine and Israel and argued that the United States must support other democracies that face existential threats from autocratic enemies.
“Hamas and Putin pose different threats, but they have one thing in common: They both want to completely destroy a neighboring democracy, completely destroy it,” Biden said.
“We must not allow petty, partisan and angry politics to get in the way of our responsibility as a great nation. We cannot and will not allow terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin to win. I refuse to let that happen,” he added.
He laid out what is at stake for the American people, calling the wars a national security imperative and a critical moment for the future of American leadership and democracies worldwide.
“American leadership holds the world together. American alliances are what protect us in America. American values make us a partner country that people want to work with,” he said. “To put all this at risk – we leave Ukraine, we turn our backs on Israel – it’s just not worth it.”
The prime-time address came the evening before the White House asked Congress for more than $100 billion to deliver aid and resources to Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan and the U.S. border with Mexico. B said he would submit an “urgent budget request” for additional funding for Israel and Ukraine, as well as other national security priorities.
“That’s why tomorrow I will send an urgent budget request to Congress to fund America’s national security needs – needs to support our important partners, including Israel and Ukraine. “It’s a smart investment that will pay dividends for American security for generations,” Biden said.
While the White House believes there remains broad bipartisan support for the package in Congress, three administration officials told CNN, the legislative branch is paralyzed by dysfunction in the House. Real questions remain about the path for such a package in Congress, as there is a leadership vacuum in the House and concerns about the level of federal spending call into question the government’s ability to finance itself beyond mid-November.
The Biden administration made its latest so-called supplemental funding request in August, which includes unique requests that go beyond traditional government programs. The proposal called for $24.1 billion to help Ukraine through the end of the year, but Congress failed to approve it during a process to approve short-term federal funding.
Public opinion on US aid is mixed.
In a recent CNN poll, nearly all respondents expressed sympathy for the Israeli people after Hamas’ surprise attacks, but there was no clear consensus on the right level of U.S. involvement. A third (35%) said the U.S. is providing the right level of aid – and another 36% were unsure whether the level of U.S. aid is appropriate. The U.S. has long provided security assistance to Israel, which receives about $4 billion annually under a 10-year memorandum of understanding. The new proposal would provide billions more.
In contrast, support for maintaining aid to Ukraine has declined significantly since Russia’s unprovoked invasion in February 2022. A CNN poll in August found that 55% of respondents said Congress should not approve additional funding to help Ukraine. The partisan divide has also widened: Nearly three-quarters of Republicans opposed increased funding for Ukraine, while 62% of Democrats supported it.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, the White House and Congress have provided more than $75 billion in funding to Kiev since Russia’s invasion.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen promised European leaders on Monday that the U.S. would be able to secure support for additional aid, saying in an interview with Sky News that Washington could afford to fund two war efforts at the same time .
“Americans can certainly afford to stand with Israel and support Israel’s military needs, and we can and must also support Ukraine in its fight against Russia.”
The speech follows his wartime visit to the Middle East, which continued even after an explosion at a hospital in Gaza. While his planned stop in Amman, Jordan, to meet Arab leaders was canceled just as the president prepared to leave the White House, Biden spent hours on location in Tel Aviv.
Officials on Wednesday tried to play down the cancellation, saying it was natural for President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority to return to the West Bank to mourn the dead. Biden later scoffed at the suggestion that he was disappointed that the meeting was canceled.
“Disappointed? Look, I came to get something done. I did it,” he said. “Not many people thought we could do it, and not many people want to be associated with failure.”
For Biden, a trip to the early days of a potentially protracted conflict was the ultimate test of his confidence, built over decades, that being in the same room can influence people and events.
The US, Egypt and Israel have all signaled their willingness to begin moving aid to Gaza following Biden’s high-profile visit. Multiple sources told CNN that Egypt’s Rafah border crossing into Gaza was not expected to open Friday for a convoy of humanitarian aid headed to Gaza, although Biden and others had expected it would be open.
“I wouldn’t spend any money on the trucks going through tomorrow,” a source familiar with the discussions told CNN.
In a meeting that went far beyond officials’ expectations, Biden sought to use his decades-long relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – which has come under significant strain over the past year – to offer advice and seek commitments on the flow of humanitarian aid for Gaza.
Previously, officials said Biden would approach the Israeli leader with “tough questions” about the path forward and Israel’s intentions in destroying Hamas in Gaza. Speaking later, Biden offered some insight into how those conversations went, or at least his perspective on them.
“I warn: While you feel this anger, do not let it consume you,” Biden told his audience, a collection of Israelis and Americans.
“I know that leadership choices are never clear or easy,” Biden continued, recalling the mistakes the United States made after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. “There are always costs, but you have to be intentional and ask very hard questions. This requires clarity about the goals and an honest assessment of whether the chosen path will achieve these goals.”