Senator Cites Biden ‘Weakness’ In Mideast Attacks

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) said this week that President Joe Biden’s “weakness” on the international stage played a role in the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel and attacks on American forces in the Middle East by Iran-linked militias.

Cotton made the statements on Fox News this weekend.

The senator argued that Biden “puts more pressure on Israel than he does on Hamas.”

Cotton criticized the president’s actions in the current cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

He said that part of the cause behind the current situation is that “the Biden administration has consistently, behind the scenes, insisted that Israel’s government take steps that are clearly not in Israel’s interests, for instance, providing fuel into Gaza, not just water or food or medicine, but fuel, which may as well be providing them with ammunition.”

Cotton cited the release of non-Israeli and non-American hostages by Hamas.

There have been a significant number of attacks outside of Israel and Gaza since the Oct. 7 attack.

This includes more than 50 drone and rocket strikes on American forces in the Middle East, which have caused dozens of casualties.

The United States military has launched a number of retaliatory raids against militias in the region after the attacks.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have also launched a number of attacks, including the recent hijacking of an Israel-linked vessel in the Red Sea, taking 25 people hostage.

Furthermore, the Houthis have fired a number of missiles and drones at Israel since the start of the conflict. In at least two different incidents, U.S. Navy vessels shot down the projectiles. Israeli forces shot down at least one salvo fired from Yemen.

The common thread between a number of these attacks is the Islamic Republic of Iran. Tehran is a chief backer of a number of armed groups across the Middle East, including Hamas and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

An Iranian drone also struck an Israeli shipping vessel this week.

Cotton also cited the jailing of several Americans in Iran, to which the Biden administration proposed a $6 billion deal to release them.