blueapples on X | ashesofacacia.substack.com
Facing backlash over a war with Iran that has led to President Donald J. Trump’s approval rating return to the lowest level of his second term at just 34%, the tone of some senior officials in his administration has shifted toward uncharacteristic criticism of Israel. The abrupt change of posture led by Vice President J.D. Vance has left Americans questioning whether or not that new position signals a paradigm shift in U.S. foreign policy or if it is nothing more than empty rhetoric aimed at appeasing the masses who have become increasingly disenfranchised by the administration over its virtually unconditional support for the Jewish state. A decision from Congress blocking a bipartisan amendment introduced by representatives Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna that would have removed the controversial provision from the National Defense Authorization Act (”NDAA”) integrating the U.S. and Israeli militaries answered that lingering question by showing that unfettered support for Israel remains business as usual in Washington, D.C., despite any empty political posturing to the contrary.The amendment introduced by Massie and Khanna sought to remove Section 219 (formerly Section 224) from this year’s NDAA. That provision is poised to establish a United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative which expands cooperation between the two nations in a manner that opponents have raised criticisms about over how it effectively integrates their two militaries. In the wake of public support in the U.S. declining to record lows, the revelation of Section 219 has been met with vitriol from U.S. taxpayers who have come to view Israel as a pariah on the world stage, a stark departure from the long-standing sentiment inculcated into the American public that the country serves as its greatest ally. Representatives Massie and Khanna harnessed that shifting sentiment by drafting an amendment to the NDAA that would have removed Section 219 from the text of the proposed legislation, only to have their effort blocked by the House Rules Committee after it chose to exclude it from a list of amendments made in order. In doing so, the committee ensured the amendment would not receive any debate or a recorded vote on the House floor.In addition to excluding the amendment put forward by Massie and Khanna, the House Rules Committee also excluded another introduced by Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that sought to rein in U.S. arms sales to Israel. The amendment introduced by Ocasio-Cortez would have imposed conditions for offensive and defensive military aid to Israel. Those conditions would have required U.S. foreign military aid to comply with international law by banning the transfer of weapons to countries blocking U.S. or United Nations' humanitarian aid to civilians.
