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From the SitRoom to the E-Ring, the inside scoop on defense, national security and foreign policy. | | | | |  | | By Alexander Ward and Matt Berg | |  Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) questioned Israel's goal of eliminating every member of Hamas during an interview with NatSec Daily. | Francis Chung/POLITICO | Subscribe here | Email Alex | Email Matt With help from Joe Gould, Maggie Miller and Daniel Lippman The Biden administration has nudged Israel for weeks to prioritize the safety of Gazans as it retaliates against Hamas. But that push has turned into a full-on shove over the last 24 hours — now that mainstream Democrats are boosting the message. Secretary of State ANTONY BLINKEN traveled to Israel on Thursday to speak frankly with Prime Minister BENJAMIN NETANYAHU and his team. The main reason for Blinken’s third meeting with Netanyahu since the war began was to broker a humanitarian pause in the fighting so crucial aid can reach people suffering from Israel’s bombing campaign. "We provided Israel advice that only the best of friends can offer on how to minimize civilian deaths, while still achieving its objectives of finding and finishing Hamas terrorists and their infrastructure of violence,” Blinken said today during his visit. “There will be no partners for peace if they're consumed by humanitarian catastrophe and alienated by any perceived indifference to their plight." A statement like that from a senior U.S. official, especially one so close to President JOE BIDEN, already carries significant weight. But the heft is greater when mainstream Democrats echo it, adding to earlier critiques from more progressive lawmakers. Senate Foreign Relations Committee member BRIAN SCHATZ (D-Hawaii) questioned Israel's goal of eliminating every member of Hamas during an interview with NatSec Daily. He said something of Gaza must be left to rebuild Palestinian society and called for a humanitarian pause. “Belligerence is not a strategy, Fury is not a strategy, righteous outrage — righteous though it may be — is not a strategy." Sen. CHRIS MURPHY (D-Conn.), who leads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Middle East panel, released a stern statement Thursday saying “the current rate of civilian death inside Gaza is unacceptable and unsustainable.” He added: “I urge Israel to immediately reconsider its approach and shift to a more deliberate and proportionate counterterrorism campaign.” More than 9,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel responded to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, per the Hamas-led Gaza Health Ministry, nearly 4,000 of them children. A Senate Democratic staffer, like others granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said Murphy believed that “as a friend of Israel he had to say something” as the civilian death toll ticks upward. Hours later, 14 Senate Democrats piled on in a joint statement urging a pause in fighting, largely drafted by Sen. TIM KAINE (D-Va.), according to an aide to one of the signatories. “The failure to adequately protect non-combatant civilians risks dramatic escalation of the conflict in the region and imposes severe damage on prospects for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians,” they said. A third Senate Democratic staffer told us the lawmakers decided to issue the letter following Israel’s strike on the Jabalia refugee camp, a “sobering” caucus lunch with USAID Administrator SAMANTHA POWER on Thursday, Blinken’s trip and discussions with constituents. The final language was coordinated in a group text chain. It doesn’t seem like the pressure is working. Netanyahu in a news conference today insisted Israel’s campaign will continue “with full force” until Hamas releases all hostages, underscoring that he said this to Blinken directly. Critics contend the administration is relying on words to get Israel to change course, failing to impose any real costs on the ally. “We are not going to create any conditions on the support that we are giving Israel to defend itself,” Vice President KAMALA HARRIS said Thursday in the U.K. Still, Democrats appear more uniform in their protect-civilians conviction now than at any other time in the war. Read: US asks Israel for ‘explanation’ of strike on Gaza refugee camp by Alex and LARA SELIGMAN
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | NO COP, AFRICA FOR BIDEN: Biden is expected to skip a major climate-change gathering and a promised trip to Africa by year’s end, our own JONATHAN LEMIRE reports. The president’s schedule could change, of course, but “there are currently no plans for him to travel internationally again for the rest of 2023,” Lemire wrote. Biden had previously been widely expected to attend COP28 in Dubai, and he told a summit of African leaders earlier this year that he’d be the first sitting president to visit Africa since BARACK OBAMA in 2015. The administration had been pursuing a charm offensive with developing countries, seeking to improve relations with them after China had made inroads, particularly in Africa, for years. Biden’s staunch support for Israel as the death toll in Gaza grows has eroded much of the goodwill built up over the last few months. And it’s worth recalling that the Biden administration came to office determined to tackle climate change, calling it the top national security threat, an existential challenge for the world. ‘WE WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO THIS’: Hezbollah leader HASSAN NASRALLAH said today that the Lebanese militant group would escalate its involvement in the Israel-Hamas war, increasing the possibility of a second front opening in Israel’s north. The group, which has a political branch ruling in Lebanon, has already “entered the battle,” Nasrallah said in his first remarks since the war began. “We will not be limited to this.” While didn’t go so far as to say Hezbollah will fully engage in the fighting, potentially because the group has lost dozens of fighters in border battles over the past few weeks, Nasrallah did say “all possibilities on the Lebanese front are open.” There’s certainly a chance of escalation. The Wagner Group, the Russian mercenary outfit, plans to send air defenses to Hezbollah, The Wall Street Journal’s MICHAEL GORDON and VIVIAN SALAMA report. MASSIVE RUSSIAN ATTACK: Russian forces launched a barrage of drones at Ukraine overnight that damaged critical infrastructure across the country, our own CLAUDIA CHIAPPA reports. Russia attacked Ukraine with about 40 Shahed drones and one X-59 aviation missile this morning, targeting several regions including Kharkiv, Odesa, Kherson and Lviv, Ukrainian officials said. Ukraine’s military said in a statement that they shot down the missile and 24 of the drones, which were launched “in waves and headed in different directions in small groups.” Several facilities, including critical infrastructure and civilian and commercial buildings, were damaged throughout the country, Ukrainian officials said. After the attack, President VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY warned that Moscow’s attacks will increase as winter approaches, so Kyiv is “strengthening air defense and mobile fire groups. … We will be fighting back.” Today, the State Department announced $125 million in new weapons and equipment for Ukraine’s military authorized under previously directed drawdowns. The Pentagon also said it would spend $300 million in Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds to bolster Kyiv’s air defenses. DRINKS WITH NATSEC DAILY: At the end of every long, hard week, we like to highlight how a prominent member of Washington’s national security scene prefers to unwind with a drink. Today, we’re featuring BILL NELSON, the NASA administrator and a former longtime senator from the Sunshine State who once went into orbit himself. Before skipping town last week, Alex bumped into Nelson at Reagan National Airport. A man constantly on the move, Nelson said his favorite drink is lemon-lime Gatorade G2 (Alex agrees this is the best flavor). We were swiftly humbled, being decades younger than the administrator, by his response to when he enjoys it most: “Before I'm going for a run and after I get through the run.” He was even sipping the sports drink during an interview with Matt over the summer. Maybe we should all take some pointers from this guy. Cheers, administrator! IT’S FRIDAY. WELCOME TO THE WEEKEND: Thanks for tuning in to NatSec Daily. This space is reserved for the top U.S. and foreign officials, the lawmakers, the lobbyists, the experts and the people like you who care about how the natsec sausage gets made. Aim your tips and comments at award@politico.com and mberg@politico.com, and follow us on X at @alexbward and @mattberg33. While you’re at it, follow the rest of POLITICO’s national security team: @nahaltoosi, @PhelimKine, @laraseligman, @connorobrienNH, @paulmcleary, @leehudson, @magmill95, @johnnysaks130, @ErinBanco, @reporterjoe, and @JGedeon1.
| | ‘A GIFT TO HAMAS’: Florida Gov. RON DeSANTIS bashed Biden over the push for a humanitarian pause in the Israel-Hamas war and for letting fuel get into Gaza. “Both are a gift to Hamas, give time for Hamas to rearm and prepare for more attacks against Israel, risk the lives of brave Israeli soldiers, and make it harder for Israel to eradicate Hamas,” he wrote in a Thursday night post on X. “Biden's demands are outrageous, disgraceful and wrong. I unequivocally stand with Israel.” Earlier in the day, DeSantis commented on his top foreign policy priority: confronting China, claiming nearly all of America’s top adversaries are dependent on Beijing. “I think Russia is basically a patron of China. Iran is basically a patron of China. Of course, North Korea depends on China,” he told Newsmax’s ERIC BOLLING. “We have become dependent on China for all important things in our economy almost. We need to decouple that relationship. That will be better for our security.”
| | | |   | | | | | PURA VIDA: Costa Rican officials are revamping their online services to increase cybersecurity and digital privacy following a devastating ransomware attack that temporarily shut down government services last year, our own MAGGIE MILLER writes in. “We are in the process of digitally transforming the government of Costa Rica,” PAULA BOGANTES ZAMORA, Costa Rica’s minister of science, innovation, technology and telecommunications, said at an event at D.C. law firm Venable on Thursday night. Transforming digital activities for Costa Rica’s health and education sectors was top of mind, the minister said, particularly after the 2022 ransomware attack, which Zamora said led to 150,000 hospital appointments being canceled. The attack was linked to pro-Russian hacking group Conti. Zamora said the new digital efforts include moving to secure 5G telecommunications systems, putting together an artificial intelligence strategy and pushing through cybersecurity legislation to step up the nation's defenses. The efforts are aided in no small part by $25 million in cybersecurity aid given to Costa Rica earlier this year by the State Department, along with a further $9.8 million from U.S. Southern Command to strengthen Costa Rica’s cyber defense measures. “What I appreciate the most is they agreed to help us implement them, they bring along the knowledge,” Costa Rican President RODRIGO CHAVES ROBLES said at the event, in reference to U.S. cyber assistance. “This may sound small in the world of economic and financial diplomacy, but it’s huge.” Read: When Elon met Rishi: 5 things we learned from the Musk-Sunak love-in by our own TOM BRISTOW and DAN BLOOM
| | HELPING HANDS: South Korea is gathering local banks to help push through its $22 billion sale of arms to Poland after Seoul hit its import-export lending limit, five people familiar with the matter told Reuters’ CYNTHIA KIM, SEUNGGYU LIM and JIHOON LEE. It’s South Korea’s largest arms deal in history, comprising rocket artillery systems and fighter jets to Warsaw. "Five local banks are reviewing a syndicated loan as a support measure" to help Poland make the purchase, a South Korean government official told Reuters.
| | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY –– FUND HUMANITARIAN AID FOR WAR: Nearly 100 House Democrats are urging congressional leaders to pass Biden’s $5.7 billion emergency funding request for Israel, which includes USAID funds to provide humanitarian aid for victims of the war. “We believe that a prompt and robust humanitarian response is necessary to protect the lives of Palestinians, Americans, and Israelis — whose security will be weakened if we fail to meet the humanitarian needs in the region,” wrote the 92 signees, led by Reps. ANDY KIM (D-N.J.), AMI BERA (D-Calif.) and SARA JACOBS (D-Calif.). While the House already passed a $14 billion aid bill for Israel, the lawmakers fear what the final measure sent to Biden’s desk will look like. Biden has already threatened to veto the bill, and the Senate wants Israel and Ukraine funding combined into one $106 billion package. The large number of Democrats signed on to the letter shows that party members are now less shy about speaking up about the humanitarian suffering in Gaza that has followed Israel’s retaliation against Hamas. Meanwhile, hundreds of USAID officials signed a letter calling on the Biden administration to push for “an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities,” Foreign Policy’s AMY MACKINNON and ROBBIE GRAMER report. DEAL OR NO DEAL: If Biden wants Congress to authorize more military aid to Ukraine, then he’ll likely have to reform U.S. asylum law to get the green light from Republicans. “In calls with those lawmakers and advocates in recent weeks, officials from the White House and Department of Homeland Security floated potential changes as a means of winning over Republicans opposed to aid for Ukraine,” our own MYAH WARD and URSULA PERANO report. This could pose a major political risk for Biden, who has already faced criticism for somewhat following Trump administration policy at the Mexico border. He’s also looking more vulnerable due to his stance on Israel and growing Republican skepticism of further aid for Ukraine. There doesn’t appear to be much Hill movement yet, but some Democrats are tentatively welcoming talks. “I think it’s hard to do those things fast, right, without having a whole lot of unnecessary consequences,” said Sen. Kaine. “But we got to be open to the discussions.”' Read: Republicans, fed up with Tuberville, plot ways to bust his military blockade by our own JOE GOULD and CONNOR O'BRIEN
| | COLLEGE HOUSE-ING: The House condemned expressions of antisemitism or support for Hamas on college campuses Thursday night, passing a resolution on the issue in a 396-23 bipartisan vote. “The resolution — H. Res. 798 — is Congress’ latest response to the rise in pro-Palestinian student demonstrations on campuses around the Israel-Hamas conflict that started Oct. 7. Senators last week passed a similar resolution, S. Res. 418, by voice vote,” our own BIANCA QUILANTAN reports. The House resolution was introduced by Rep. BURGESS OWENS (R-Utah), who heads the House Education and the Workforce’s subcommittee on higher education. The Biden administration in May released a strategy to combat antisemitism, including combating its presence on college campuses. The White House is now working on a plan to tackle Islamophobia.
| | — MARIYA CHETYRKINA has joined Devex Talent Solutions as its first managing director. She was last Accenture’s senior talent strategist. — PHILLIPS O’BRIEN has joined the Center for Strategic and International Studies as a senior adviser in the international security program. O’Brien currently serves as chair of strategic studies and head of the School of International Relations at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. — Ukrainians are mourning the death of actor MATTHEW PERRY, The New York Times’ MARIA VARENIKOVA reports, finding some resonance with their countries’ horrific situation. The hit show “Friends” Perry starred in “is almost the same age as Ukrainian independence,” the Ukrinform news agency’s Deputy Director MARYNA SYNHAIVSKA told the NYT. (Also, Matt informed Alex this morning that he’d never seen the show and has likely only watched one thing with Perry in it. Please join Alex in booing this man.)
| | — ISAAC HERZOG, The New York Times: The President of Israel: This Is Not a Battle Just Between Israel and Hamas — DAHLIA SCHEINDLIN, The New Republic: Here’s the least bad option for Gaza after theHere’s the Least Bad Option for Gaza After the War Ends war ends — GARRY KASPAROV, The Wall Street Journal: Biden Needs a New Foreign-Policy Team
| | — The Brookings Institution's Strobe Talbott Center for Security, Strategy, and Technology, 10 a.m.: Veterans and democracy: Bridging divides and strengthening civic knowledge — The Wilson Center Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies, 2 p.m.: The Impact of War and Decolonization on Russian Studies in the United States — The Atlantic Council, 2:45 p.m.: Integrating 5G technology for a more networked force — The Brookings Institution and the Stanford Center for International Security and Cooperation, 3 p.m.: Assessing U.S.-China Interaction at APEC — The Wilson Center's Cold War International History Project, 4 p.m.: Book discussion on "The Struggle for Iran: Oil, Autocracy, and the Cold War, 1951-1954” Thanks to our editor, Heidi Vogt, about whom we would release a critical statement every day (though we pretty much do here). We also thank our producer, Emily Lussier, of whom we sing songs of praise.
| | A message from Lockheed Martin: Our mission is to prepare you for the future by engineering advanced capabilities today.
Many of today’s military systems and platforms were designed to operate independently. Through our 21st Century Security vision, Lockheed Martin is accelerating innovation, connecting defense and digital to enhance the performance of major platforms, to equip customers to stay ahead of emerging threats. Learn more. | | | | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |  |
