11:41 a.m. ET, December 3, 2023
GOP senator rejects protection secretary’s argument that extra civilian casualties in Gaza might worsen insurgency
US Sen. Lindsey Graham and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
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US Sen. Lindsey Graham rejected Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s rivalry that additional civilian casualties in Gaza might produce much more insurgents and exchange “a tactical victory with a strategic defeat.”
The Republican senator went on to characterize Austin as “naive,” saying he has “lost all confidence” in him.
“Strategic defeat would be inflaming the Palestinians? They’re already inflamed. They are taught from the time they’re born to hate the Jews and to kill them,” Graham claimed on CNN — calling on Austin to “Quit criticizing Israel in public.”
“Secretary Austin is telling Israel things that are impossible to achieve,” Graham stated. “Secretary Austin, the reason Palestinians are dying: Gaza is so condensed, Hamas has tunnels under apartments, under schools, under hospitals.”
Graham added that he understands the idea of what retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal has known as “insurgent math,” an concept that collateral civilian loss of life in warfare generally is a catalyst for creating insurgents, however argued Gaza’s inhabitants “has been radicalized for decades.”
“Do you know what they teach in the schools?” Graham questioned. “The idea that somehow we’re or Israel is radicalizing the people in Gaza is ridiculous'”
“If we were attacked like this, which we were in 9/11, if somebody called for us within two months to have a ceasefire against al-Qaeda, we would’ve laughed them out of town, we would have run them out of town,” he stated, additionally criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris’ Saturday assertion that “too many innocent Palestinians have been killed.”
“Vice President Harris, tell Israel how to destroy Hamas in a way not to hurt innocent Palestinians, and I’ll pass it along,” he stated. “No Republican believes this, by the way,” he added. “No Republican is telling Israel to change your military tactics.”
Aid for Israel: Meanwhile, stated he wouldn’t vote for a invoice to help Israel and Ukraine if US immigration restrictions he and his GOP colleagues have advocated for are usually not included within the proposed laws.
“I think there are votes for Israel apart from the package,” he contended. “Republicans overwhelmingly support Israel — so do most Democrats. Republicans are divided on Ukraine.”
