[1/3]US President Joe Biden gives a prime-time address to the nation in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington about his approach to the conflict between Israel and Hamas, humanitarian assistance in Gaza, and continued support to Ukraine in its war with Russia. I did it.October 19th, USA…License rights acquired
WASHINGTON, Oct 19 (Reuters) – President Joe Biden on Thursday launched an emergency mission to get Americans to support spending billions more on Israel and Ukraine, using an unusual speech from the Oval Office to said that U.S. support is essential for the two major allies, which are in recession. war.
“American leadership brings the world together. Our alliances are what keep us safe,” Biden said.
Biden sought to link Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, who attacked Israel, to Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose military invaded Ukraine in February 2022.
“Hamas and Putin represent different threats, but they have something in common: they both want to destroy the democracies in their neighborhoods,” he said.
Biden gave the speech about 20 hours after returning from a whirlwind trip to Israel to show American solidarity in the wake of attacks by Hamas militants who launched an attack from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing 1,400 people in southern Israel. did.
There was a degree of urgency to Biden’s message. Israel is poised to launch a ground offensive to eradicate Palestinian Hamas militants from Gaza, with tensions at a fever pitch following a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital.
While Biden said Israel was not responsible for the explosion, as Hamas officials had claimed, it “ignored the humanity of innocent Palestinians who just want to live in peace and have opportunity.” I can’t do that.”
Biden expressed concern that some Americans question “why it matters to America” that America supports the war.
“We understand that these conflicts may seem far away,” he said.
But he said America’s adversaries are watching how both conflicts play out, and the outcome could cause problems elsewhere in the world.
The US president spoke against the backdrop of political turmoil in Washington, where the House of Representatives is still undecided on who to appoint as speaker after Republicans, who control the House of Representatives, ousted Kevin McCarthy from the post.
Mr. Biden took aim squarely at bickering Republicans, saying, “We cannot allow petty, partisan, angry politics to get in the way of our responsibilities as a great nation.”
Biden has called for emergency spending, with U.S. officials announcing a total of about $100 billion over the next year for security along Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan and the porous border with Mexico. ing.
Sources said in advance that the budget could include $60 billion for Ukraine and $10 billion for Israel, as well as billions for border security in Asia and the United States. He said that there is.
By combining his priorities into one package, Biden is testing whether he can persuade Republican lawmakers to put aside their objections and agree to spending on Ukraine. Ukraine’s 20-month war with Russia has already absorbed billions of dollars into U.S. weapons. I can’t see the end.
Any funding measure would need to pass both the Democratic-led U.S. Senate, where there is bipartisan support for additional aid, and the Republican-led House, which has been without a speaker for 17 days.
Conservative Jim Jordan, an ally of former President Donald Trump, has vowed to continue his bid for speaker of the House after failing to win the support of a majority of Republicans.
House Republicans have brought the government to a near standstill in recent weeks over chronic budget deficits and $31.4 trillion in debt, threatening to cut government spending across the board.
In a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted last week, about four in 10 respondents said given a range of options, the United States should support Israel’s position in the conflict. Nearly half said Americans should remain neutral or not get involved.
A separate Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month found that about the same percentage agreed with the statement that the U.S. government “should give arms to Ukraine.”
Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt and Steve Holland. Additional reporting by Susan Heavey, Doina Chiacu, Idrees Ali, Mike Stone, Jason Lange, Patricia Zengerle, and Helen Coster.Editing: Heather Timmons and Howard Goller
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