On Monday, during an appearance on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu argued the only way to peace was to destroy Hamas.
He also condemned those blaming Israel for the attack by Hamas on its southern territory.
“Would it be worthwhile for the world to fully — to have the moral clarity to understand the barbarism, the monstrous evil that we’re talking about here?” host Sean Hannity said. “Because it’s on videotape.”
“Yes, you’re quite right,” Netanyahu replied. “There’s sensitivity of the families. We respect that, and we try to persuade them to do exactly what you said. And I think we’re getting somewhere. We show it to selective leaders in America and elsewhere in the world. And people — people watch these tapes, and they shudder. Some break out into tears because the inhumanity, the deliberate — not really the deliberate murder of people, the deliberate murder, mutilation, the ripping off of body parts, the beheadings, they’re so — it’s accompanied with such fiendish glee, the joy of murder, the joy of terror, the joy of torture.”
He continued, “It’s just absolutely extraordinary. And this is the battle we’re fighting. Now, it’s a very difficult enemy to fight, because it’s committing a double war crime. Not only is it deliberately targeting civilians, our civilians, but it’s deliberately hiding behind their civilians, because they implant themselves in schools and hospitals, in U.N. facilities, in civilian neighborhoods. That’s where they put their rockets. That’s where they put their command posts, and they seek immunity there. And, of course, we can’t give them that immunity. We try to do everything in our power to minimize civilian casualties. But one thing we don’t want to do — everybody says, the use of human shields, the use of civilians as a shield for terrorists, that’s wrong, OK? But we have to make sure that it’s not merely condemned. We have to make sure that it’s ineffective.”
“And if the blame is directed against Israel, against the victim that is returning fire with the most judicious use of military power that’s possible in these circumstances, if blame is placed on Israel, then that tactic becomes effective and will be used again and again and again,” Netanyahu added. And we can’t allow that. In fact, Hamas is saying they will do it again and again and again. And that’s why we have to win out, root them out completely, but also send a message to the axis of terror: You’re not going to win. We’re not going to let you do this. We defeated you here. We will defeat you elsewhere. And we should have the entire civilized world line up behind Israel, while it fights this battle of civilization. It’s our common civilization against their common barbarism. Civilization must win.”
“So, Israel must destroy Hamas to have peace. If you want peace, destroy Hamas. If you want security, destroy Hamas. If you want to beat the axis of terror, destroy Hamas. This is what Israel must do. This is what Israel is doing. But it’s not only doing it for ourselves, for our sake. It’s doing it for your sake too, for our common future, for the future, a better future for the — for the Israel, for the Palestinians, for the Middle East, for the world.”
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