Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said should the Biden administration follow through on its threat to stall U.S. military aid for Israel, the White House would be “rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk.”
During an appearance on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Graham said “it’s impossible to mitigate civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas uses their own population as human shields.”
“I’ve never seen in the history of warfare such blatant efforts by an enemy, Hamas, to put civilians at risk. And the last thing you want to do is reward this behavior. They put weapons in mosques. They fire artillery rounds from apartment buildings. They put command centers under hospitals to maximize civilian casualties as Israel tries to destroy the terrorist group,” Graham told host Kristen Welker.
“Americans should be all in and helping Israel against an existential threat. The one thing Israel and America has in common,” Graham continued “Hamas would attack us if they could. Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism that shouts ‘Death to America, ’and Hezbollah is in the same camp. I’ve never heard anybody in Israel chant ‘Death to America.’ The people Israel is fighting are bent on destroying all of the Jews. This is Holocaust Remembrance Month, for God’s sake. We should unequivocally support Israel. Yes. Work with them to limit civilian casualties. They want to do that. I know they do. They have a whole battalion dedicated to that. But this idea of worth holding weapons to Israel is rewarding the tactics of Hamas to put civilians at risk.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., left, joined by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other Senate Republicans, criticizes President Biden for his warning to Israel that the U.S. will pause more offensive military assistance, Thursday, May 9, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
In a message to the Biden administration, Graham said “sit down with Israel, keep the weapons flowing and work out a plan, if you can.”
“I talked with Israel this morning. They are discussing with the Biden administration a way forward. I am somewhat hopeful we can jump over this impasse, but do not let Bernie Sanders run this war. Bernie Sanders and the Squad are insane when it comes to how to defend Israel, he just said on national television – cut off every nickel of military aid to the Jewish state who’s being threatened with oblivion. Shut these people down. This decision was political. He’s trying to appease the radical left, Biden is.”
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., reacting to the White House’s warning that it will halt some weapons supplies to Israel. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Earlier on the same program, Sanders had argued “Israel should not be receiving another nickel in U.S. military aid,” pointing to a recent State Department report suggesting Israel could be violating internation law in the way it’s conducting its war against Hamas since the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., holds a news conference with fellow Republican senators at the U.S. Capitol on May 9, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Graham also attempted to make a comparison to the United States’ actions to end World War II in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan to justify the Israel Defense Forces’ actions against Hamas.
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“Here’s what I would say about fighting an enemy who wants to kill you and your family. Why do we drop two bombs, nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? To end a war that we couldn’t afford to lose. You don’t understand. Apparently, what Israel is facing. They’re facing three groups. Iran, who has received $80 billion in aid. When Trump left office, they were exporting 300 barrels of oil a day. Now they’re 1.3 million a day. They’ve been enriched by Biden. They’re taking that money to kill all the Jews,” Graham said. “Give Israel the bombs they need to end the war. They can’t afford to lose and work with them to minimize casualties.”
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