Stefanik calls for Hamas to be wiped ‘off the face of the earth’, promotes Trump policies in speech to Israeli parliament

CNN
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House Republican Conference Speaker Elise Stefanik addressed the Israeli parliament on Sunday, saying Israel’s victory in the war against Hamas begins with “wiping out” those responsible for the October 7 terrorist attacks “from the face of the earth.” He called for the return of the country. Former President Donald Trump’s policies.

“Complete victory begins, but it only begins with wiping those responsible for October 7th from the face of the earth. There is no recoverable dignity for Hamas and its supporters,” she said in a speech, saying, He described himself as Hamas’s “key promoter and partner.” He harshly criticized President Trump and the Biden administration.

The New York Republican, who is considered a potential Republican nominee for vice president, has been outspoken in the House of Representatives against reports of anti-Semitism on college campuses and He has been attracting attention for harshly criticizing the university president. His speech made him the highest-ranking House Republican to address Israel’s governing body since the Oct. 7 attack, according to the Republican Conference.

“When the enemy is inside the gates of the United Nations, America must call the enemy by name and destroy the enemy. President Trump understood that,” Stefanik said.

“But you know as well as I do that the enemy is not only at the gates of the United Nations. It is also in my country and other powerful institutions of the West, with the virus, the vile anti-Semitism. The virus is spreading. This is why complete victory means not just physical self-defense, but ideological self-defense,” Stefanik added, referring to pro-Palestinian protesters on university campuses calling for a ceasefire in the conflict. claimed that the protesters were “dressing up as Hamas.”

In a rare instance of a lawmaker publicly criticizing a US president for a foreign government, Stefanik went after the Biden administration, saying there is “no excuse” for the administration to block military aid to Israel. Stated.

“I’ve been clear at home and I’ll say it clearly here: There is no excuse for the president of the United States to block aid to Israel, aid that has been duly passed by Congress,” Stefanik said.

The Biden administration has suspended some bomb shipments to Israel, citing objections to the weapons being used in the populated area of ​​Rafah. But it also began the early stages of the process to advance a new $1 billion arms deal with Israel.

“Israel has no better friend than President Biden,” White House Press Secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement Sunday.

“He was the first American president to visit Israel during wartime and in the aftermath of the horrific October 7 terrorist attacks, and he was also the first president to order the U.S. military to protect Israel from foreign attack. As he has demonstrated, President Biden’s support for Israel’s security is “ironclad,” Bates said.

“Unlike some right-wing figures, President Biden has never condemned the Israeli government in the days since October 7th, nor has he praised terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. In an interview with Fox News days after the attack, Bates called the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah “very smart” and said Israel He made this comment in reference to President Trump’s remarks on October 7, when he said he was “not ready.”

Biden announced earlier this month that if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a large-scale invasion of Rafah, he will halt some shipments of U.S.-made weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in the Gaza Strip. He spoke publicly for the first time.

“We are not running away from Israeli security. We are moving away from Israel’s ability to wage war in these areas,” Biden said in a CNN interview at the time.

Stefanik sought to draw a contrast between the White House and House Republicans, telling Fox’s Shannon Bream after the speech, “The world needs moral leadership…and House Republicans are stepping up to fill that void.” is important,” he said.

“One of the main focuses of my speech was that the American people, like House Republicans, strongly support Israel,” she told Fox, praising the Republican-led bill passed by the House. , praised Biden for preventing him from suspending, suspending, withdrawing or withdrawing. Halt arms transfers from the United States to Israel that have already been authorized by Congress.

Asked about civilian deaths in Gaza, where more than 35,000 people have been killed, according to the Gaza Strip’s Health Ministry, Stefanik pointed to Hamas’ use of a “civilian shield.”

“Israel has great respect when it comes to human rights,” she said, adding, “Israel has conducted all its operations that way. That’s why the United States takes a strong position against Israel.” Ta.

Human rights groups have accused Israel of committing war crimes and human rights abuses during the Gaza war. In a State Department report submitted to Congress earlier this month, the Biden administration said it was “reasonable to assess” that Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip used U.S. weapons in a manner “inconsistent” with international humanitarian law. But it wasn’t even close. Officially announced that Israel had violated the law.

CNN’s Michelle Shen contributed reporting.