Ex-National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan signals a seismic shift, backing congressional moves to halt arms to Israel if its right-wing government stays the course.
In a striking departure from Washington’s traditional stance, former U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said this week that voting to withhold weapons from Israel has become a “credible position,” underscoring rising unease over Israel’s war strategy and domestic politics.
Speaking to Tim Miller on The Bulwark, Sullivan revealed he has engaged in discussions with lawmakers weighing such resolutions, particularly following the collapse of the ceasefire in March.
“Given the situation as it stands today, a vote to withhold weapons from Israel is a totally credible position,” Sullivan stated. “That is a position that I would support.”
Sullivan’s remarks highlight the Biden administration’s increasingly fraught balancing act—supporting Israel militarily while facing mounting pressure from Congress and the public over civilian casualties and Israel’s right-wing political trajectory.
The former senior advisor framed the debate as pivotal to the future of U.S.-Israel relations, pointing directly at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
“Are we going to be dealing with the prime minister and a right-wing government for years on end, or is there going to be political change in Israel?” he asked.
Warning that Israel’s democratic character hangs in the balance, Sullivan added: “If nothing changes in their government—if it continues to be a far-right government that pursues the same policies—then it won’t be the Israel we’ve known. I think a lot of Israelis would say they wouldn’t recognize that Israel. And obviously, that should have an impact on the relationship.”
His comments mark one of the bluntest acknowledgments yet from a top Biden ally that Washington’s ironclad support for Israel may not be unconditional—an indication that the U.S.-Israel alliance is entering uncharted territory.
