In placing a hold on a shipment of US-made bombs to Israel, and warning there could be more restrictions to come, Joe Biden is sending a message to Benjamin Netanyahu that his administration is no longer prepared to be a dog wagged by its own tail.
Not only was the shipment of thousands of 2000lb and 500lb bombs put on hold, but the administration made no effort to disguise it, as a logistical problem, for example. Officials briefed reporters about it, and then the defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, put it on the record before a Senate committee, making clear there could be other arms consignments that could face similar delays.
US officials are talking of a hinge point in the relationship, in which this suspended arms package could be just the first manifestation, depending on how Israel now acts in Rafah.
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