The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a bill to provide $17.6 billion in aid to Israel, opposed by Joe Biden, as the Democratic US president seeks to pass a broader package of emergency public spending that includes in particular the provision of economic and military aid to Ukraine.

The dispute over the issue has been going on for months.

The parliamentarians of the American right-wing party, many of whom are close to Donald Trump, want a majority of them to absolutely grant new aid to Israel, a historical ally of the US, at war with Hamas since October 7.

But many of them oppose the simultaneous funding of Ukraine, arguing that the country’s protracted war against Russia, which invaded its territory on February 24, 2022, should not continue to be funded by American taxpayers.

Aware that the war in Ukraine is causing fatigue in Washington, President Biden has been trying since October to tie up funding for the two US allies and pass legislation that would also toughen US immigration policy in exchange for the Republicans. But the “agreement” in the Senate announced on Sunday is facing resistance from the opposition in Parliament.

Yesterday’s vote (250 votes to 180; a two-thirds majority was required to pass the Republican bill) was intended to force the president to disburse funding only to Israel. In vain.

For any bill to pass, it must be approved by both houses of the US Congress and signed by the head of state. But most Democrats rejected the idea of ​​giving aid only to Israel. President Biden said he would veto such a text if it reached his office.

For his part, House Speaker Mike Johnson calls the text approved in the Senate “dead”.