Dem Sen. Reed: Conflict Among Israelis Has ‘More Disturbing Long-Term Consequences’ than Current Battle Against Hamas

On Monday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Lead,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) stated that because Israel has acted more unilaterally instead of looking for a two-state solution, there is a “sense of desperation” among the Israeli population, which shows itself in the conflict between Jewish and Arab Israelis, and has “more disturbing long-term consequences for Israel than the current fight against Hamas.”

Reed said, “[W]hat’s been building up over the years has been a situation where the opportunity for a two-state solution, which was always the goal of our administration and many administrations in Israel was sort of pushed aside, and Israel, I think, was acting, along with the Trump administration, in a much more unilateral way to forge their solution. And I think what that’s done is provided a sense of desperation among the population, and one of the most indicative aspects of this desperation is the fighting between Israeli citizens, Jewish citizens and Arab citizens. That’s something that I don’t recall in my memory, but now it’s becoming a reality. And that has, I think, more disturbing long-term consequences for Israel than the current fight against Hamas.”

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