Biden says 'no shift' in US commitment to Israel

US President Joe Biden has said there is “no shift” in his commitment to the security of Israel and reiterated his support for the Tel Aviv regime, following the 11-day Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.

“There is no shift in my commitment to the security of Israel. Period. No shift,” Biden told reporters at a press conference in the White House in Washington, DC, on Friday.

Progressive Democrats in the United States have recently pushed forward efforts to dramatically shift the US relationship with Israel.

Biden was asked about his message to Democrats who want him to take a tough stand against Israel in the wake of its war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

"The shift is we still need a two-state solution. It is the only answer,” Biden said.

His statement came after Israel on Thursday declared a unilateral ceasefire and the Palestinian resistance groups in Gaza accepted it.

Israel began the aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip on May 10, after weeks of violence against Palestinians at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where Israeli forces and settlers attacked Palestinian worshipers, and in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, where the regime tried to force Palestinians out of their homes to build more illegal settlements.

The Israeli regime killed at least 243 Palestinians, including 66 children and 39 women, through its aerial bombardment of Gaza. Palestinian resistance groups responded with thousands of significantly improved rockets, which caught Israel off guard and killed 12 people.

Biden said he is committed to helping rebuild infrastructure in Gaza that was devastated in the recent Israeli air strikes against Palestinians.

“They need the help and we’re going to get that done,” Biden said.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) confronted Biden earlier this week during a trip in Michigan for supporting the Israeli regime as it committed war crimes against Palestinians.

Biden claimed on Friday that his party “still supports Israel”.

Progressive Democrats seek a shift to US relations with Israel

Progressive Democrats are pushing forward efforts to dramatically shift the US relationship with Israel, following the 11-day Israeli aggression in the Gaza Strip.

Biden hailed the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in remarks at the White House on Thursday.

 “One of the reasons why we were able to get the ceasefire in 11 days is I didn’t do what other people have done: I don’t talk about what I tell other people in private. I don’t talk about what we negotiate in private,” Biden said.

“I am praying this ceasefire holds,” Biden said.

Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) are leading the efforts to block a $735 million weapons sale to Israel, with a resolution introduced in both the House of Representatives and Senate this week.

“For decades, the US has sold billions of dollars in weaponry to Israel without ever requiring them to respect basic Palestinian rights. In so doing, we have directly contributed to the death, displacement and disenfranchisement of millions,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement.

The resolution only requires a simple majority to pass the Senate, but it would need a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House if it is vetoed by President Biden.

US presidents have traditionally vetoed such resolutions. Former US President Donald Trump vetoed three resolutions approved by Congress in 2019 seeking to stop arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

The Biden administration approved the planned sale of $735 million in precision-guided missiles to Israel this year, and sent it to Congress for formal review.

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