BIDEN DIGS IN: NO AID TO ISRAEL UNLESS UKRAINE, TOO. It has now been more than a month since the Hamas attack on Israel. Israeli forces are on the move against Hamas in Gaza, and there is bipartisan agreement in the U.S. government — House, Senate, and White House — that the United States should send aid to Israel.

President Joe Biden asked Congress for $14 billion in military assistance to Israel. The House quickly passed what Biden wanted. But now the president and Senate Democrats staunchly refuse to go forward with the aid. Biden has drawn a line in the sand: He will not approve the $14 billion in aid to Israel that he himself asked the House to pass. This week, the White House reiterated Biden’s position.

What gives? It’s complicated, but here’s a quick answer: It’s mostly about Ukraine.

Start with Biden’s original request. In addition to asking for $14 billion in military assistance to Israel, the president asked for $61 billion in assistance to Ukraine. On top of that, he asked for about $9 billion in humanitarian aid for Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, and other places, but he did not specify how much would go to each. Judging from the wording of his request letter, it appears the largest part would be for Ukraine.