During a national town hall Tuesday, Ron DeSantis predictably diverged from President Joe Biden’s take that Israel is losing support globally because Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “doesn’t want a two-state solution.”
Rather, DeSantis rests blame with global “antisemitism” and dismisses objections to Israeli war strategy and the killing of civilians as “Hamas’ fault.”
“So I think it’s true that the world is coming after Israel, but it’s because of antisemitism, it’s because you have these people at the UN who are disgraceful, who are trying to blame Israel. They wouldn’t even condemn the Hamas attack at the United Nations.”
“So Israel gets targeted and singled out more than any other country in the world. They’re the only Jewish state in this world and everyone’s come gunning for them,” the 2024 presidential candidate said, during a CNN town hall hosted by Jake Tapper.
Biden said Tuesday night that Netanyahu “has a tough decision to make” and “has to strengthen and change” and consider a “two-state solution.”
That’s a non-starter for DeSantis.
“So you look at what may be happening in the Gaza Strip. If there’s civilian casualties, that is Hamas’ fault,” DeSantis said. “Hamas should release the hostages. Hamas should unconditionally surrender. Israel cannot possibly live with a terrorist group that wants to annihilate their entire country and kill every Jew and usher in a second Holocaust. So they have every right to defend themselves.”
Per the Associated Press, more than 18,000 Palestinians have been killed in this conflict, with nearly 2 million displaced from their homes.
“Now, in terms of the two state solution, I don’t think you can have a ‘two state solution’ when the Arabs will view it, the Palestinian Arabs will view it as a stepping stone to the destruction of Israel. Why have you not had a solution there? Because they’ve never recognized Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. And until they’re willing to do that, anything that would be done would just weaken Israel.”
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