Biden to Address Americans on Aid to Israel and Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to speak at 8 PM Eastern Time on Thursday, October 19, regarding Washington's response to the conflicts in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. On Wednesday, Biden, during a brief eight-hour visit to Israel, firmly supported Israel while calling for access to water, food, and humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza. The President will address the American people amid Congress's inability to function due to the failure of House members to elect a Speaker, which has stalled budget requests. John Feiner, Deputy National Security Advisor, stated that Biden's speech will express solidarity with Israel and Ukraine while discussing the impacts of these conflicts with the American people and particularly lawmakers. Feiner told MSNBC, "This [speech] will also primarily be a message to the American people: how these conflicts are connected to our lives here, and how support from the American people and Congress... is essential." On Wednesday evening, Biden returned from his short trip to Israel to express solidarity and support for the people and government of that country against Palestinian militants. Following an explosion at a hospital in Gaza, which was later attributed to Palestinian militants, Biden's scheduled meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Jordan, King Abdullah of Jordan, and Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, was canceled. In Tel Aviv, Biden promised $100 million in aid to Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. He also stated he would ask Congress for unprecedented aid to Israel to bolster the country in its war with Hamas. The White House announced that Biden would submit his financial aid request this week. Reuters reported, citing a knowledgeable source, that the Biden administration is considering providing $60 billion in aid to Ukraine and $10 billion to Israel. Any budget proposal must be approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Additional aid to U.S. allies enjoys support from the majority of members of both parties in the Senate. However, the House of Representatives has been without a Speaker for the past 17 days following the ousting of Kevin McCarthy, and another vote to elect a new Speaker is scheduled for Thursday. Another point regarding the House is that Republicans, who hold the majority, are not united on providing additional funding to U.S. allies, with right-wing conservatives particularly opposing aid to Ukraine. The Deputy National Security Advisor reiterated in his MSNBC interview that the planned aid to Gaza will be delivered in the coming days, while also echoing Biden's warning about Hamas potentially misusing this aid. Senator Blackburn criticized the $100 million U.S. aid to Palestinians, stating it would reach Hamas. The U.S. National Security Council stated that Israel was not involved in the attack on the Gaza hospital. Biden stated that missiles from "a terrorist group in Gaza" were responsible for the hospital explosion, asserting that Israel is never alone. The U.S. President's trip to Israel was influenced by the explosion at the Gaza hospital. Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Biden, stating that the U.S. has supported Israel during this difficult time. Biden, in his meeting with Netanyahu, remarked that it seems the explosion at the Al-Ahli hospital was the work of the opposing side. The Associated Press reported that five shipments of American weapons and equipment have entered Israel.