Adam Kinzinger Doubles Down After Drawing Heat for Suggesting US Assistance to Israel Be Conditioned over Ukraine

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) doubled down on his suggestion that U.S. assistance to Israel be conditioned based on the Jewish state’s actions regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Kinzinger is the first Republican in Congress to suggest conditioning U.S. assistance to Israel. Conditioning U.S. assistance to the Jewish state had only been a stance by numerous progressive Democrats.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed Israel’s Knesset on Sunday in which he said, “You can mediate, but cannot mediate between good & evil. I could ask why we are not receive protection from Israel. Why are we not getting your Iron Dome, that would protect the Jews of Ukraine? Why hasn’t Israel joined the sanction régime against Russia?”

In a Twitter thread, Kinzinger retweeted a post with that quote and said “Really good questions of #Israel.”

“Israel’s reaction to #Ukraine will have bearing on future aid from the US to #Israel. Pay it forward,” he added.

Israel’s reaction to #Ukraine will have bearing on future aid from the US to #Israel. Pay it forward

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 20, 2022

Kinzinger received blowback for the suggestion that U.S. assistance to Israel be conditional.

Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East surrounded by terrorists who want them dead.

How disgraceful for you to threaten their existence because they don’t agree with you on Ukraine. https://t.co/Kk7bHEfRKV

— Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) March 20, 2022

Last April Rep. Kinzinger signed a letter against conditioning aid to Israel. What changed?https://t.co/jDpGUgpO8V https://t.co/oLYmgflCyE

— Judah Ari Gross (@JudahAriGross) March 20, 2022

Imagine saying this to a country sending humanitarian aid to Ukraine and trying to negotiate peace, at the same time the US is giving away cash & nukes to a terrorist State that supports Russian aggression.

It’s the textbook definition of Chutzpah. Shame on you, @AdamKinzinger https://t.co/UJzQJO8M9Y

— Joel M. Petlin (@Joelmpetlin) March 20, 2022

Kinzinger later doubled down on his suggestion to condition U.S. assistance to the Jewish state.

“Thread on Israel: so i grabbed the third rail of foreign policy today, as I said Israel needs to pick a side, and that future aid could be at stake. I want to double down on this, let me explain,” he tweeted.

He continued:

I deeply support our relationship with Israel. But supporting friends doesn’t mean we look past differences. We have stood with Israel and will continue to do so. But at the moment there is a battle between Good and Evil, between a world based on raw power or … one based one the post WW2 rules. Everyone must pick a side. The outcome of this fight will impact the world my son grows up in, and now is the time to call anyone to the carpet who does not do their utmost.

[I]f we don’t want to directly attack Russia, then our leverage is in the world uniting in sanctions and assistance for the people of Ukraine. This includes everyone, and Israel doesn’t have a special exemption. Hopefully they will do the right thing.

2) I deeply support our relationship with Israel. But supporting friends doesn’t mean we look past differences. We have stood with Israel and will continue to do so. But at the moment there is a battle between Good and Evil, between a world based on raw power or…

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 21, 2022

4) if we don’t want to directly attack Russia, then our leverage is in the world uniting in sanctions and assistance for the people of Ukraine. This includes everyone, and Israel doesn’t have a special exemption. Hopefully they will do the right thing. /end

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) March 21, 2022

Republican Jewish Coalition executive director Matt Brooks blasted Kinzinger.

“@AdamKinzinger I take strong issue with your previous tweet. No one is saying friends can’t disagree, that’s healthy in a relationship. What is absolutely unacceptable is your suggestion that we hold aid to Israel hostage to coerce our ally to bend to our will.”

.@AdamKinzinger I take strong issue with your previous tweet. No one is saying friends can’t disagree, that’s healthy in a relationship. What is absolutely unacceptable is your suggestion that we hold aid to Israel hostage to coerce our ally to bend to our will. https://t.co/oN94G7Psar

— Matt Brooks (@mbrooksrjc) March 21, 2022

Although Israel, which has a strategic relationship with Russia, has not sent military assistance to Ukraine, it has sent humanitarian aid to the Eastern European country.

Disclosure: The author of this article interned for Kinzinger.

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