A Deep Dive into Netanyahu’s Accusations of Biden’s Arms Embargo
- Uri Pilichowski
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Last week, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was severely critical of former US President Joe Biden, accusing him of instituting a partial arms embargo on Israel during Israel’s wars against Hamas and Hezbollah.
Here’s what you need to know about Netanyahu’s accusations.
Biden’s support of Israel during the war
Since October 7, the US has given Israel over 21 billion dollars to help Israel in its wars against Hamas, Palestinian terror groups, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Iran. Under Biden’s administration, the United States has spent a record of at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began and led to escalating conflict around the Middle East.
After a first-ever visit by a US president to Israel during war, Biden explained to the American people the importance of supporting Israel. In an Oval Office address, Biden said, “In Israel, we’re going to make sure that they have what they need to protect their people today and always. The security package I’m sending to Congress… is an unprecedented commitment to Israel’s security that will sharpen Israel’s qualitative military edge, which we’ve committed to uphold. We’re going to make sure Iron Dome continues to guard the skies over Israel. We’re going to make sure other hostile actors in the region know that Israel is stronger than ever and prevent this conflict from spreading.”
Since coming into office, Trump has increased aid to Israel and supplied Israel with the weapons it has requested. The Trump administration also destroyed Iran’s nuclear reactors and negotiated the return of the final hostages and the ceasefire with Hamas.
Netanyahu’s arms embargo criticism
Many were surprised by Netanyahu’s criticism of Biden.
Israeli soldiers at the time were fighting in areas where artillery and air force weaponry had been used, but terrorists had remained in booby-trapped houses, Netanyahu said. “Heroes fell” because they didn’t have the ammunition they needed, he charged. And “part of that absent ammunition was because of the embargo.”
Journalist Amit Segal explained, “There was a partial arms embargo. Not rhetorical. Not symbolic. Real and operational. The Biden administration halted the transfer of armored bulldozers that Israel had already paid for. Without them, IDF troops had to enter booby-trapped buildings on foot. That decision directly increased casualties. Ammunition transfers were deliberately slowed. Israeli forces entered Rafah with tanks that were not fully stocked. Tank commanders were restricted to loading only a fraction of their ammunition and required higher-level approval to fire shells. That is not normal warfare. That is micromanagement from Washington. Operational consequences were deadly. When terrorists were caught planting explosives, tank crews were forbidden from firing shells. Instead of neutralizing threats instantly, soldiers were forced into close combat, letting attackers escape and increasing risk to Israeli troops.”
Netanyahu said Israel paid “very heavy prices” in the war in terms of the loss of soldiers’ lives. While “part of that is what happens in war,” he said, part of it stemmed from the fact that “at a certain stage, we didn’t have enough ammunition.”
Biden’s advisors respond to Netanyahu’s charges
The accusation prompted predictable outrage from former Biden administration staffers, one of whom, Amos Hochstein, branded Netanyahu both a liar and an ingrate. Biden “literally saved Israel at its most vulnerable moment,” Hochstein wrote, elaborating that the administration provided an unprecedented “more than $20 billion military support,” deterred “a massive regional war,” and saved “countless lives of Israelis.”
Biden aide Brett McGurk responded to Netanyahu’s charges, “That statement by Netanyahu is categorically false. Biden left office with a ceasefire in Gaza and hostages coming home, a ceasefire in Lebanon with Hezbollah defeated, Iran in its weakest position since 1979 after two failed missile attacks thanks to the deployment of US military forces and a coordinated response that destroyed Iran’s air defenses. His commitment to Israel’s security, including US military assistance, was unwavering throughout the crisis.”
Who’s right?
Times of Israel Editor-in-Chief David Horowitz wrote, “The prime minister had never previously specified that this ostensible embargo included vital ammunition for ground troops whose absence caused the direct loss of Israeli soldiers’ lives. There were reports during the war of shortages of tank and artillery shells, but the IDF at the time consistently played down the significance of the issue. No military probe to date has found that a soldier was killed because the necessary ammunition was not available.”
Wrap up
The truth about Netanyahu's accusation of a Biden-era "arms embargo" lies somewhere in the middle. Biden's administration provided unprecedented military aid, billions in support, including vital munitions, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to Israel's security amid intense conflict. However, targeted delays on specific heavy munitions, like certain bombs in 2024 over Rafah concerns, created operational frictions and perceived shortages that Netanyahu blames for heightened risks and some soldier casualties. While no full embargo existed and no direct causal link to deaths has been conclusively proven, these restrictions contributed to tensions and ammunition constraints in key moments. Ultimately, both leaders' positions reflect partial truths shaped by strategic priorities, alliance strains, and the fog of war.
Uri Pilichowski is an author, speaker, and senior educator at institutions around the world.