On Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “Inside Politics,” Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) responded to a question on conditioning U.S.-Israel aid by saying, “I respectfully disagree. I feel like we should remain fundamentally supportive of the U.S.-Israel relationship,” and that “Hamas has publicly said that it’s intent on repeating October 7, and we ignore that threat at our own peril. So, I disagree.” He also argued that “any attempts to fundamentally undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship will ultimately benefit Hamas, which had perpetrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, a fact that the world seems to have forgotten.”
Torres said, “I think we should be crystal clear, the Republicans have been in charge of the House since October 7, and have fundamentally failed to pass a bipartisan bill that provides aid to Israel. The Republicans refuse to bring to the floor a national security supplemental that would provide aid to all of our allies, Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine. And so, if you’re allowing aid to Israel to languish indefinitely, then you’re in no position to lecture anyone, including President Biden, on his support for Israel. I share the view that every conceivable effort must be made to minimize Palestinian casualties, to maximize humanitarian aid to Palestinians in distress, but, at the same time, any attempts to fundamentally undermine the U.S.-Israel relationship will ultimately benefit Hamas, which had perpetrated the deadliest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, a fact that the world seems to have forgotten.”
Later, host Dana Bash asked, “Some of your most pro-Israel fellow Democrats, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), for example, now say they support putting conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. Do you?”
Torres responded, “I respectfully disagree. I feel like we should remain fundamentally supportive of the U.S.-Israel relationship, which is in the interests of the United States. Israel’s our greatest ally in the Middle East. And people should keep in mind, Israel did not start the war. The war was imposed upon Israel by the barbarism and terrorism of Hamas, which must be removed from power. If Hamas remains in power, it will re-group, re-arm, and launch even deadlier terror attacks than the atrocities of October 7. Hamas has publicly said that it’s intent on repeating October 7, and we ignore that threat at our own peril. So, I disagree. I’m in favor of preserving the U.S.-Israel relationship and removing Hamas from power, but doing so in a manner that minimizes Palestinian casualties and delivers aid to those in need.”
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