President Joe Biden nearly implemented draconian measures against Israel, including cutting off weapon supplies, after an Israeli drone strike killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in April 2024. According to Brett McGurk, a top Middle East adviser to four presidents, the administration pulled back from these measures because U.S. intelligence indicated an unprecedented aerial attack from Iran was imminent. In his upcoming memoir Brink, McGurk details a tense exchange where Biden warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that U.S. military support could end, quoting him as saying, ‘You think I’m Santa Claus? No Santa in Israel, pal.’ The U.S. and its partners ultimately intercepted 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and 30 cruise missiles launched simultaneously by Iran. McGurk noted that while the U.S. paused certain transfers like 2000-pound bombs, a complete arms embargo would not have stopped the war because Israel possesses a massive domestic arms industry. Furthermore, he argued that extreme public pressure would have hardened Hamas’s negotiating stance and worsened the crisis. Regarding the origins of the conflict, McGurk stated that U.S. intelligence systems had no advanced warning of the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas, though he believes Israel should launch an official internal inquiry akin to America’s 9/11 commission. Reflecting on regional diplomacy, McGurk also addressed long-standing efforts to normalize relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, calling the potential pact one of the biggest deals since the Cold War. He admitted that early reluctance from the Biden administration to engage with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was a mistake and that Biden’s 2022 decision to offer a fist bump instead of a handshake hindered diplomatic trust when Washington needed assistance with oil prices and security.
Source: cbsnews.com
