Brett McGurk, a top Middle East adviser to four presidents, has revealed that President Joe Biden came close to cutting off U.S. weapons to Israel during the war in Gaza. McGurk’s account appears in his new memoir, Brink, where he describes a tense moment when Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he could end the weapons supply. The memoir covers the Biden administration’s initial reaction to Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel, the war against Hamas, securing an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage release deal, Iran’s role, and the push to normalize Israel-Saudi ties. McGurk’s account offers a rare, insider look at the administration’s internal debates over how to handle a conflict that stretched from Gaza to the wider Middle East.
Drone Strike That Set It Off
The story begins with an Israeli military drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers in the Gaza Strip in April 2024. McGurk, who served as a top Middle East adviser to four presidents, said Biden was “fed up” with Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza. He described the president as on the verge of taking “draconian measures” against Israel.
The cutoff was very much on the table. “Cutting off U.S. weapons to Israel was very much on the table,” according to McGurk. The U.S. is the largest weapons supplier to Israel, providing billions in aid each year.
Iranian Threat That Changed Everything
What stopped Biden from acting was intelligence that Iran was about to launch an “unprecedented” aerial attack on Israel. McGurk said U.S. intelligence indicated the attack was imminent, and the White House decided to protect Israel rather than punish it.
The attack involved a massive array of weapons. According to McGurk, the Iranian assault included 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles launched simultaneously. The U.S. and its Arab and European partners worked together to shield Israel from the onslaught.
Warning From Netanyahu
In his memoir, McGurk recalled a tense conversation where Biden warned Netanyahu he could end the weapons supply. The president reportedly told Netanyahu bluntly: “You think I’m Santa Claus? No Santa in Israel, pal.”
The exchange captured the tension between the two leaders. Netanyahu was concerned about Iran’s nuclear sites, and the U.S. response to the drone strike put pressure on the alliance.
McGurk’s account also notes that the administration paused some weapons transfers, including 2,000-pound bombs, but never halted weapons altogether. The partial pause reflected the administration’s reluctance to fully sever ties with Israel.
Hostage Situation in Gaza
The Israeli government said there were more than 130 hostages in Gaza and around 34,000 Gazan deaths, per the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. The hostage situation became a central issue in the conflict, with negotiations focused on securing releases and ending the fighting.
McGurk’s memoir covers the hostage release deal as part of the broader conflict. The administration worked to secure a ceasefire and negotiate the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
Iran’s Nuclear Dash
McGurk said the Biden administration worried Iran might “make a dash” toward weapons-grade uranium in late 2024. That concern added urgency to the administration’s efforts to secure Israel, as the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran loomed over the region.
The worry was not abstract. Iran’s nuclear program has been a persistent concern for the U.S. and its allies, and the administration saw the war in Gaza as part of a larger regional struggle against Iranian influence.
December Trip to Israel
In December 2024, McGurk traveled to Israel with national security adviser Jake Sullivan to work on a Hamas hostage release deal. During that visit, Netanyahu discussed attacking nuclear sites in Iran, including the Fordow facility.
Fordow was one of three Iranian nuclear sites targeted by a June 2025 bombing ordered by President Trump, eight months before a wider U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. The timing suggests Netanyahu was considering military action even as the Biden administration was trying to manage the conflict diplomatically.
Case Against Cutting Aid
McGurk argues that stopping American support for Israel “is not going to end the crisis, it’s going to make it worse.” His position reflects a view that the U.S. has more leverage by staying engaged than by walking away.
The logic is straightforward: the administration chose to stay engaged, pausing some transfers while keeping the overall flow of aid intact.
Weapons Review and Its Critics
A 2023 State Department review of Israel’s conduct found it was “reasonable to assess” that Israeli security forces used U.S.-made weapons “inconsistent with” international humanitarian law obligations. That finding adds context to the debate over whether the U.S. should continue arming Israel.
Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen told “Face the Nation” in November 2024 that Biden didn’t use U.S. leverage effectively, sending Israel “more bombs and more money” after Netanyahu ignored his requests. The senator’s criticism echoes the frustration that McGurk describes in his memoir.
The review’s conclusion is notable because it directly questions whether U.S. weapons are being used in ways that comply with international law.
| Event | Date | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Israeli drone strike kills seven aid workers | April 2024 | Seven World Central Kitchen workers killed in Gaza |
| Iranian missile attack threatened | N/A | U.S. intelligence warned of an imminent attack |
| Biden warns Netanyahu about weapons supply | N/A | “You think I’m Santa Claus? No Santa in Israel, pal” |
| McGurk travels to Israel with Jake Sullivan | December 2024 | Work on Hamas hostage release deal |
| Fordow bombed by Trump | June 2025 | Eight months before wider U.S.-Israeli war against Iran |
The memoir provides a window into the administration’s thinking at a critical moment. It shows a president who was frustrated with Netanyahu but unwilling to abandon Israel entirely.
The U.S. came close to a dramatic break with Israel, and the cutoff was not taken.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs keeping the channels open for diplomacy and compromise with Israel and Hamas, and is against a cutoff of weapons supplies that would cut off those channels. In this case, the threat of Iranian attack pushed Biden back from a decision that would have severed ties with Israel entirely.
The story shows an administration that was frustrated with Netanyahu but unwilling to abandon Israel entirely. The paper agrees that staying engaged gives the U.S. more leverage than walking away would, and it is glad the cutoff was not taken.
The 2023 State Department review finding that Israeli use of U.S. weapons may have been inconsistent with international law raises a separate question about whether the U.S. should continue supplying arms at all. That is a different issue from whether to cut off supplies in the middle of a war, and the paper’s position on it is not stated here. Readers should keep both questions in mind as they follow the story.
See the video the story is built around at CBS News.
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