‘Pandora’s Box For Other Aggressors’: Blinken Insists On Linking Israel Aid To Ukraine

Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted on linking Israel aid to funding for Ukraine after President Joe Biden asked Congress Thursday night in an Oval Office address to pass an urgent budget request.

“We know that if we let would-be aggressors act with impunity, whether it’s, uh, a state like Russia, whether it’s like Hamas, we open a pandora’s box for other aggressors around the world to try to get away with the same thing,” Blinken told Kristen Welker in a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Secretary of State Antony Blinken says “we open a Pandora’s box for other aggressors around the world” if Congress doesn’t pass more Ukraine aid linked to funding for Israel and border security.

That box has already been opened thanks to Biden’s weakness. pic.twitter.com/QdyUzSzHeH

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 22, 2023

Blinken described Biden’s announcement as “powerful” and “eloquent,” emphasizing the imperative of passing the president’s $100 billion foreign aid package. House Republicans immediately opposed the plan, calling for separate votes for each country’s aid. They argued that joint allocation of funds would “reward terrorists and dictators and embolden them to continue their assaults on democracy.” Despite the backlash, Blinken defended the proposal.

“We need to see the continuation of strong, bipartisan support for both Ukraine and for Israel,” Blinken said. “We have two friends who are under attack in different ways.” (RELATED: ‘Not The Right Time’: Netanyahu Rejects Zelenskyy’s Offer To Visit Israel, Report Says)

Israel formally declared war on Hamas after the Islamic terror group launched their biggest attack in years on Oct. 7. Since then, hundreds have been murdered, injured and kidnapped, including U.S. citizens within the war-torn country.