U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Auburn) criticized the Biden administration on Tuesday for failing to address tensions in the Middle East, which he says have brought the United States closer to a direct military conflict in the region.
On Tuesday, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran in what is suspected to be an Israeli operation. Haniyeh and his bodyguard were reportedly killed in Tehran after attending an inauguration ceremony for the new Iranian president on Wednesday. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, have pledged retaliatory action for the assassination.
The assassination comes at a time when support for Israel is scant among the Democratic Party in the lead-up to the November presidential election. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a joint gathering of Congress. President Joe Biden and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris did not attend Netanyahu’s speech.
“Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have brought us to the brink of another war,” Tuberville said. “It’s not a mystery how this happened. This administration has flushed Iran with cash, and now Iran is bankrolling terrorism all over the Middle East. Meanwhile, they’re turning their backs on our closest ally, Israel. This is why Kamala couldn’t bring herself to show up to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s congressional address last week. It’s because Hamas has become a key constituency for the Democratic Party. Just last week, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi stood by while pro-Hamas protestors destroyed property two blocks from my office in the capital. Democrats are more concerned with appeasing our enemies than supporting our friends and allies. It’s the weakest, and I repeat, the weakest administration in the history of this country. It has made us a complete joke in the eyes of the world.”
Tuberville also said Haniyeh's assassination likely destroyed any immediate possibility of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
“I think you just saw [a ceasefire] go out the window," Tuberville continued. "I think, eventually, it will come back to fruition. We just really don’t know how strong Iran is. If you look at what happened, this happened in Tehran, and I’m sure there will be some fallback on Israel from this, but the United States, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris need to stand up and point a finger at Iran [and] say, ‘Enough’s enough. This is over with. Stay out of this. This is between Hamas and Israel.’ But we won’t do it. We’re going to show a sign of weakness here. We’re not going to take the side of Israel. We’re going to try to ride the fence. This administration’s going to ride the fence like they normally do, and it’s going to keep the entire world in a form of frustration."
"Kamala Harris and Joe Biden have zero leadership when it comes to foreign policy; we’ve seen that all over the world. This will be no different. So, Israel is going to prepare what they’re getting ready to have to take on. Hopefully, we will get involved with this and help protect Israel like we did the first time with Jordan, but that is yet to be seen," he added.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email craig.monger@1819news.com.
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