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Senator Ben Cardin, the Maryland Democrat, is the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Since the Hamas led attack of October 7th, he has been working with the Biden Administration to pass a bill through Congress that would provide aid to both Ukraine and Israel. It will mark one of the last major pieces of legislation of his congressional career, because Cardin plans to retire after his third term, which expires at the beginning of 2025. Cardin has been known for his focus on human rights; he helped to sponsor the 2012 Magnitsky Act, which sanctioned Russians involved in human-rights abuses, and recently blocked military aid to Egypt, which he said should be conditional on improvements in the Egyptian government’s human-rights record.
I recently spoke by phone with Senator Cardin about the war in Gaza and its costs to civilians. During our conversation, which has been edited for length and clarity, we discussed why he thinks aid to Israel should continue regardless of conditions, the anger felt in Israel after October 7th, and whether America’s warnings to Israel about civilian casualties are being heard.
What is the status of the aid bill for Israel and Ukraine working its way through Congress?
The President has submitted supplemental requests that include not just Israel but also Ukraine and the Asia Pacific, with a particular interest in Taiwan. It also includes humanitarian assistance and has some funding provisions for border security. That is now under consideration in both the House and the Senate. The major stumbling block appears to be the border-security issues.
In the Senate or over all—because my sense was Ukraine was an issue for a lot of House Republicans?
I think in the Senate. The border-security issues appear to be the major prerequisite to keep the bill in its current form on the floor of the United States Senate.
The President, in his speech to the nation about this issue and this bill, tried to tie the struggle against Russian aggression in Ukraine with Israel’s current war. Can you explain whether you think those are part of one struggle and why?
I think there is a common risk factor, and national-security concern, for the United States. We know that Iran is helping Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. We know that Iran facilitated Hamas’s capacity in its attack against Israel. [Iran is a supporter of Hamas, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that there is no evidence that Iran was directly involved in the attacks of October 7th.] We also know other countries who don’t share our interests, such as North Korea, have also been helping Russia in Ukraine. And we know that China’s sympathy is with Russia, not with the United States. You put all that together, there’s a common risk factor here in regards to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan.
In the case of Israel, is it a little bit more complicated, given the situation with Israel and the Palestinians, and what’s happening in the West Bank and Gaza, versus China threatening Taiwan, which is a democratic country, and with Russia invading Ukraine?
I think all of the areas have complications. We know that Russia’s aggression in Ukraine is not just about Ukraine. If they were successful in Ukraine, they would not stop there. In the Middle East, we know that Hamas wants to destroy Israel. They don’t want Jews in the Middle East. So we know that it wouldn’t stop there. And China’s watching to see the reaction of the free world.
What are we materially providing right now to Israel? What is our contribution to its war effort?
Well, the United States does provide foreign assistance on a yearly basis. That includes Iron Dome and the defense network that they have. In regards to the current challenge, we have made certain equipment and arms available to Israel, and in the supplemental bill there’s additional support for air defense and developing the next generation of air defense for Iron Dome.
And when you say that we’re providing arms right now before the bill passes, do you have a sense of what that is?
Well, we have a reserve of weapons that are available. We’ve transferred interceptors so that Israel has enough interceptors for Iron Dome to be able to function. There are certain foreign-military sale requests that Israel has made of the United States that are under active consideration today. Those are paid for by the Israelis. So, at the present time, it’s been drawing down on our own inventory as well as making certain weapons available through the foreign-military sales.
You have been celebrated for your focus on human rights. The Washington Post editorial page celebrated your career for your focus on human rights. I’m curious if you have concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The Times reported over the weekend that according to the United Nations more children have been killed in Gaza than in all of the world’s conflict zones combined last year.
Absolutely. I’m very concerned about the humanitarian challenges that we have in Gaza today. But let me go back to October the 7th. Hamas led a brutal attack on Israel, killing civilians. I was in Israel. I witnessed firsthand the evidence of what Hamas did. Israel has not only a right but an obligation to defend itself from that enemy. It’s in the interest of Israel and in the interest of the Palestinians to rid itself of Hamas. Hamas has been taking the aid that’s come into Gaza, and rather than using it to help the people and Palestinians, they’ve used it for their own purposes.
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