Dem Sen. Murphy: I Worry Bibi Is Trying to ‘Influence’ U.S. Election with Decisions on Hezbollah, Hamas

On Wednesday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said he worries that “Prime Minister Netanyahu is watching the American election as he makes decisions about his military campaigns in the north and in Gaza.” And “it is certainly a possibility that the Israeli government is not going to sign any diplomatic agreement prior to the American election as a means, potentially, to try to influence the result.”

Murphy said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu is pursuing multiple objectives all at once, I don’t doubt that he cares about the security of Israel, but he seems to be guided, on many days, by his own political survival. We obviously thought we had the ability to obtain a ceasefire with Hamas. Hamas stood in the way of that agreement, but Prime Minister Netanyahu also seemed to believe that it would hurt his political interests to enter into that ceasefire and prisoner exchange. What has to happen now is, first, a response by Israel and the United States. But second, we have to get on a path towards de-escalation. I don’t think that these attacks on Israel can go without a response, but there already was a diplomatic process in place with Hezbollah. We have the opportunity, after these limited ground incursions that Israel is making, to get us on a path to peace, and perhaps by achieving a ceasefire in the north with Hezbollah that might be able to stimulate further talks to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza.”

He further stated, “I certainly worry that Prime Minister Netanyahu is watching the American election as he makes decisions about his military campaigns in the north and in Gaza. I hope this is not true, but it is certainly a possibility that the Israeli government is not going to sign any diplomatic agreement prior to the American election as a means, potentially, to try to influence the result. I hope I’m wrong about that, but I don’t think you have to be a hopeless cynic to read some of Israel’s actions — some of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions as connected to the American election.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett