Democratic senator calls on Joe Biden to halt transfer of offensive weapons to Israel

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., on Friday called for an independent investigation into a strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen volunteers in Gaza and renewed his request that the Biden administration halt the transfer of bombs and other offensive weapons to Israel.

“Recent events have made plain that much more needs to be done to protect innocent life. This is particularly the case regarding the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza,” he said in a statement on Friday. “Israel must have the capacity to defend itself against those — like Hamas — who would annihilate it. But more offensive weapons delivered at this moment will only further widen suffering in Israel, Gaza and the region.”

Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services and the Foreign Relations committees, asked that the Biden administration prioritize the transfer of defensive weapons in all arms sales to Israel while withholding bombs and other offensive weapons that can kill and wound civilians and humanitarian aid workers.

On Friday, dozens of members of Congress, including Virginia Rep. Don Beyer, signed a letter to the Biden Administration that also called for the halt of offensive weapons to Israel and an investigation into the strike that killed the World Central Kitchen volunteers.

Navigating conflict during a campaign year

Kaine, who is up for reelection this year, has walked a tightrope at home and in Washington since the devastating October 7 attack by Hamas. The subsequent conflict has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and displaced and limited or cut off humanitarian aid to nearly two million residents.

A handful of protestors in support of Palestine interrupted Kaine’s reelection pitch to voters at his first campaign tour stop in downtown Richmond. They called on the senator to halt the transfer of funds and weapons from the U.S. to Israel.

“There’s a lot of heartbreak in the world. We need to find a hostage deal; we need to find a ceasefire,” Kaine told the demonstrators.

Protestors also took issue with Kaine’s vote to halt funding to United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, or UNRWA. The measure was included in a $1.2 trillion budget bill passed in late March to avert a government shutdown.

Backlash from Republicans

Kaine’s statement has drawn ire from Republican primary contenders.

Hung Cao, a Republican primary candidate seeking to unseat Kaine, called the senator “naive” in a post on X on Friday.

“This much I know for sure: yes, the IDF killed civilians by accident. Hamas kills civilians on purpose. The fact that Tim Kaine can't tell the difference means he is part of the problem,” his post read.

Cao lost a bid to unseat Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., by 6 points in 2022.

This article originally appeared on Staunton News Leader: Israel: Dem Sen. Tim Kaine calls on Joe Biden to halt weapons transfer