As Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon reached new levels of intensity, killing hundreds of people and displacing thousands, U.S. lawmakers and leaders found themselves divided over the American role in the violence. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) offered a scathing critique of U.S. military aid to Israel, while President Joe Biden defended the strikes as a necessary and just response to Hezbollah’s aggression.
According to reports, more than 700 people have died from the Israeli bombings in Lebanon over the past week, with Hezbollah leaders among the casualties. The bombings, which primarily targeted Hezbollah strongholds, have also displaced an estimated 140,000 children, with the total number of displaced people in Lebanon reaching half a million since the Hamas-led October 7 attack on Israel. Humanitarian groups like Save the Children have raised alarm over the growing crisis, urging international intervention to prevent a full-blown catastrophe.
“Children are telling us that it feels like danger is everywhere, and they can never be safe,” said Jennifer Moorehead, Save the Children’s country director in Lebanon. “We urge all parties to immediately de-escalate tensions and for international actors to pressure all parties to comply with international humanitarian law.”
Amid the chaos, Congresswoman Tlaib, the only Palestinian-American in Congress, voiced her outrage over the U.S.’s role in the ongoing conflict. Taking to social media, Tlaib declared, “Our country is funding this bloodbath,” adding that her office had been inundated with “desperate calls” from U.S. citizens trapped in Lebanon and struggling to evacuate. Tlaib also accused President Biden of enabling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “genocidal plan” by continuing to supply Israel with military aid.
The U.S. had reportedly been informed in advance of Israel’s planned airstrikes on Beirut, which began on Friday. The attacks coincided with a controversial $8.7 billion aid package to Israel, fueling criticism from human rights advocates and anti-war activists across the world. In her public statements, Tlaib criticized both the Biden administration and the U.S. State Department for failing to adequately protect American citizens in Lebanon.
While Tlaib condemned the violence as a “bloodbath,” President Biden offered a starkly different take, framing the airstrikes as an act of justice. In a statement released Saturday, Biden acknowledged the killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli forces, calling it a justified measure given Hezbollah’s history of attacks on Americans and Israelis.
“Hassan Nasrallah and the terrorist group he led, Hezbollah, were responsible for killing hundreds of Americans over a four-decade reign of terror,” Biden said. “His death from an Israeli airstrike is a measure of justice for his many victims, including thousands of Americans, Israelis, and Lebanese civilians.”
Biden’s statement went on to link the current Israeli airstrikes to the conflict ignited by Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, which killed over 1,000 Israelis. He emphasized that the United States fully supports Israel’s right to defend itself, not only against Hezbollah but also against Hamas, the Houthis, and other Iranian-backed groups. “Ultimately, our aim is to de-escalate the ongoing conflicts in both Gaza and Lebanon through diplomatic means,” Biden added, though critics noted the lack of mention of Lebanese civilian casualties.
Biden’s framing of the strikes as “justice” drew harsh backlash from human rights advocates and observers. Ali Abunimah, director of The Electronic Intifada, expressed shock over Biden’s words, noting that Nasrallah’s assassination came amid airstrikes that leveled multiple apartment buildings and killed hundreds of civilians.
“Biden calls the assassination of Nasrallah, in an Israeli massacre that killed hundreds, ‘a measure of justice for his many victims,’” Abunimah said. “Utterly depraved.”
Middle East expert Assal Rad also condemned Biden’s defense of the airstrikes, arguing that his administration’s rhetoric was contradictory. “You can’t provide the funding and weapons to continue the conflict without conditions, twist humanitarian law to give Israel total impunity, and reject every international institution that seeks accountability, and then say your ‘aim is to de-escalate,’” Rad stated.
The escalating conflict has deepened concerns of a broader regional war, with Hezbollah continuing to fire rockets into Israel in response to the airstrikes. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged all sides to step back from the brink, warning of catastrophic consequences if the violence continues to spiral.
“To all sides, let us say in one clear voice: Stop the killing and destruction. Tone down the rhetoric and threats. Step back from the brink,” Guterres said during a recent U.N. Security Council meeting. “An all-out war would surely be an all-out catastrophe.”
As Biden prepares to leave office early next year, having passed the torch to Vice President Kamala Harris, his administration’s policies in the Middle East are likely to remain a contentious issue in the lead-up to the U.S. presidential election. Despite international outcry and growing calls for restraint, Biden and Harris have continued to stand firm in their unwavering support of Israel, a position that is only fueling more criticism from lawmakers like Tlaib and anti-war advocates.
Summing up the frustrations of many, Tlaib stated, “Sending more of our troops and bombs to the region is not advancing peace. The U.S. government are conspirators to the war criminal Netanyahu’s genocidal plan.”
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