May 12 — Sec. Blinken, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Lindsey Graham

♪

♪

>>> THIS SUNDAY, BIDEN'S RED

LINE.

PRESIDENT BIDEN WARNS ISRAEL HE

WILL CUT OFF SOME AMERICAN

WEAPONS IF THE ISRAELI MILITARY

LAUNCHES A FULL-SCALE ASSAULT

INSIDE THE CITY OF RAFAH WHERE

MORE THAN 1 MILLION PALESTINIANS

ARE SHELTERING.

>> IF THEY GO INTO RAFAH I'M NOT

SUPPLYING THE WEAPONS THAT HAVE

BEEN USED HISTORICALLY TO DEAL

WITH RAFAH.

>> ISRAEL DEFIANT SAYING THEY

ARE WILLING TO FIGHT WITHOUT

U.S. HELP.

>> IF ISRAEL HAS TO STAND ALONE,

WE'LL STAND ALONE.

>> GIVE ISRAEL WHAT THEY NEED TO

FIGHT THE WAR THEY CAN'T AFFORD

TO LOSE.

>> THE AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT AN

IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE AND THEY DO

NOT WANT MORE U.S. MILITARY AID

GOING TO THE WAR MACHINE.

>> IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN

THE U.S. AND ISRAEL AT A CRISIS

POINT?

MY GUEST THIS MORNING SECRETARY

OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN,

REPUBLICAN SENATOR LINDSAY GHLAM

OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND

INDEPENDENT SENATOR BERN SANDERS

OF VERMONT.

PLUS LEGAL STORM.

AFTER RULING DONALD TRUMP

VIOLATED A GAG ORDER TEN TIMES

THE JUDGE PRESIDING OVER TRUMP'S

CRIMINAL TRIAL THREATENS JAIL

TIME IF HE VIOLATES THE GAG

ORDER AGAIN.

>> IF YOU SAY ANYTHING SLIGHTLY

OFF HE WANTS TO PUT YOU IN JAIL.

>> AND AFTER STORMY DANIELS

TAKES THE STAND DESCRIBING HER

SEXUAL ENCOUNTER WITH MR. TRUMP

THE JUDGE REJECTS THE DEFENSE

TEAM'S REQUEST FOR A MISTRIAL.

JOINING ME FOR INSIGHT AND

ANALYSIS ARE NBC NEWS WHITE

HOUSE CORRESPONDENT MONICA ALBA,

FORMER WHITE HOUSE PRESS

SECRETARY JEN PSAKI AND STEPHEN

HAYES EDITOR OF "THE DISPATCH."

WELCOME TO SUNDAY.

IT'S "MEET THE PRESS."

>>> FROM NBC NEWS IN WASHINGTON

THE LONGEST-RUNNING SHOW IN

TELEVISION HISTORY, THIS IS

"MEET THE PRESS" WITH KRISTEN

WELKER.

>>> GOOD SUNDAY MORNING AND

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

TODAY THE WORLD'S EYES ARE ON

GAZA AS THE ISRAELI MILITARY

WIDENS OPERATIONS INCLUDING

ORDERING MORE EVACUATIONS FROM

PARTS OF RAFAH, A DENSELY

POPULATED AREA IN SOUTHERN GAZA

DESPITE PRESIDENT BIDEN'S STARK

WARNING THAT HE'LL WITHHOLD

WEAPONS IF THEY LAUNCH A MAJOR

OPERATION.

THE U.N. SAYS 300,000 PEOPLE

HAVE FLED RAFAH OVER THE LAST

WEEK.

NOW LAST WEEK THE WHITE HOUSE

HALTED A LARGE SHIPMENT OF 2,500

BOMBS TO ISRAEL.

PRESIDENT BIDEN WARNED THE PAUSE

COULD EXTEND TO EVEN MORE

WEAPONS EVEN THOUGH THE

ADMINISTRATION SENDS SMALLER

ARMS AND IT'S THE BIGGEST BREAK

WITH THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND

MR. BIDEN MADE A STRIKING

ADMISSION THAT BOMBS SUPPLIED BY

THE U.S. HAVE KILLED CIVILIANS

IN GAZA.

>> CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN

GAZA AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THOSE

BOMBS AND OTHER WAYS IN WHICH

THEY GO AFTER POPULATION CENTERS

AND LET ME BE CLEAR THAT IF THEY

GO INTO RAFAH, THEY HAVEN'T GONE

INTO RAFAH YET, IF THEY GO INTO

RAFAH I'M NOT SUPPLYING THE

WEAPONS THAT HAVE BEEN USE

HISTORICALLY TO DEAL WITH RAFAH,

TO DEAL WITH THE CITIES.

>> IT'S A NOTABLE EVOLUTION FROM

THE WAY THE PRESIDENT TALKS

ABOUT CIVILIAN DEATHS.

>> HAMAS CONTROLLED GAZA

MINISTRY SAYS ISRAELI FORCES

HAVE KILLED OVER 6,000

PALESTINIANS INCLUDING 2700

CHILDREN.

YOU'VE PREVIOUSLY ASKED

NETANYAHU TO MINIMIZE CIVILIAN

CASUALTIES, DO THESE NUMBERS SAY

TO YOU THAT HE'S IGNORING THAT

MESSAGE?

>> MA WHAT THEY SAY TO ME IS

THAT NO NOTIONS ARE THE

PALESTINIANS ARE TELLING THE

TRUTH.

I'M SURE INNOCENTS HAVE BEEN

KILLED.

I THINK WE SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY

CAREFUL AND I THINK THE ISRAELIS

SHOULD BE INCREDIBLY CAREFUL,

BUT I HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN THE

NUMBER THAT THE PALESTINIANS ARE

USING.

>> ON FRIDAY THE STATE

DEPARTMENT RELEASED A REPORT

CRITICIZING ISRAEL FOR FAILING

TO PROTECT CIVILIANS IN GAZA

SAYING THE RESULTS ON THE GROUND

INCLUDING HIGH LEVELS OF

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES RAISED

SUBSTANTIAL QUESTIONS.

THE REPORT SAYS IT IS REASONABLE

TO ASSESS THAT ISRAEL HAS

VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW IN

GAZA, BUT SAID THE U.S. HASN'T

BEEN ABLE TO VERIFY INSTANCES

THAT WOULD JUSTIFY WITHHOLDING

MILITARY AID.

THAT FINDING ALLOWS THE U.S. TO

CONTINUE SUPPLYING WEAPONS TO

ISRAEL.

RESPONDING TO PRESIDENT BIDEN,

ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU

SAID ISRAEL IS PREPAREDED TO GO

IT ALONE.

>> I'VE KNOWN JOE BIDEN FOR MANY

YEARS, 40 YEARS OR MORE.

WE OFTEN HAD AGREEMENTS AND

WE'VE HAD OUR DISAGREEMENTS.

WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO OVERCOME

THEM.

I HOPE WE CAN OVERCOME THEM NOW,

BUT WE WILL DO WHAT WE HAVE TO

DO TO PROTECT OUR COUNTRY AND

THAT MEANS PROTECT OUR FUTURE

AND THAT MEANS WE WILL DEFEAT

HAMAS INCLUDING IN RAFAH, WE

HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE.

AND JOINING ME NOW IS SECRETARY

OF STATE ANTONY BLINKEN.

SECRETARY BLINKEN, WELCOME BACK

TO "MEET THE PRESS".

>> GOOD MORNING, KRISTEN.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING

HERE.

I WANT TO START WITH THAT STATE

DEPARTMENT REPORT THAT DID NOT

DRAW A DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION

ABOUT ISRAEL AND WHETHER IT'S

VIOLATED INTERNATIONAL LAW.

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL SAYS OF

THE REPORT THIS IS THE, QUOTE,

INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF SENDING

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.

DEMOCRATIC SENATOR CHRIS VAN

HOLLAND SAYS IT DUCKS THE

ULTIMATE QUESTIONS THAT THE

REPORT WAS DESIGNED TO

DETERMINE.

MR. SECRETARY, IS THE U.S.

TRYING TO AVOID WITHHOLDING

ISRAEL ACCOUNTABLE FOR ITS

ACTIONS?

>> NO.

WE DON'T HAVE DOUBLE STANDARDS.

WE TREATISE RAIL, ONE OF OUR

CLOSESTAL RYES AND PARTNERS LIKE

WE WOULD ANY OTHER COUNTRIES

INCLUDING ASSESSING

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

AND ITS COMPLIANCE WITH THAT

LAW.

THE REPORT ALSO MAKES CLEAR THAT

THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY COMPLEX

MILITARY ENVIRONMENT.

YOU HAVE AN ENEMY THAT EMBEDS

ITSELF WITH CIVILIANS, HIDING

UNDER AND WITHIN SCHOOLS,

MOSQUES, APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND

FIRING UP ISRAELI FORCES FROM

THOSE PLACES.

IT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT IN THE

HEAT OF WAR TO MAKE A DEFINITIVE

ASSESSMENT ABOUT ANY INDIVIDUAL

INCIDENT, BUT THE REPORT SAYS

BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF THE

HARM THAT'S BEEN DONE TO

CHILDREN, TO WOMEN, TO MEN WHO

ARE CAUGHT IN THIS CROSSFIRE

HAMAS IS MAKING IT'S REASONABLE

TO CONCLUDE THAT THEIR INSTANCES

WHERE ISRAEL HAS ACTED IN WAYS

THAT ARE NOT CONSISTENT WITH

INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW

AND WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT AND

INVESTIGATE EACH OF THESE

INCIDENTS, BUT CRITICALLY SO

DOES ISRAEL.

THERE ARE UNDERSTANDS, AS WE

UNDERSTAND IT OF OPEN INQUIRIES

INTO PARTICULAR INCIDENTS AND

CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS GOING

FORWARD.

ISRAEL, UNLIKE MANY OTHER

COUNTRIES HAS BOTH THE MEANS AND

THE WILL TO TRY TO POLICE ITSELF

SO WE NEED TO LET THOSE PLAY

OUT, BUT OUR OWN PROCESS THAT

HAS BEEN UNDER WAY FOR MANY

MONTHS TO LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL

INCIDENTS WILL CONTINUE AS WELL

AND WHEN WE CAN REACH DOWN

COLLUSION, AS WELL AND IT IS

DIFFICULT TO DO THAT IN THE

MIDST OF WAR.

>> HERE WE ARE IN THE SEVENTH

MONTH OF THIS WAR, MR.

SECRETARY.

HOW IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE

STATE DEPARTMENT WITH ALL OF ITS

RESOURCES WAS NOT ABLE TO REACH

A DEFINITIVE CONCLUSION ON

WHETHER ISRAEL HAS VIOLATED

INTERNATIONAL LAW?

>> PRECISELY BECAUSE WE CONTINUE

TO BE IN THE MID OFST OF THIS

REPORT AND MAKING IT REAL TIME

WHEN WE DON'T HAVE PEOPLE ON THE

GROUND, WHEN WE HAVE THAT MAKE

SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING

INFORMATION FROM ALL CONCERNED

THAT TAKES TIME AND WE WANT TO

MAKE SURE THAT WE WANT TO REACH

DEFINITIVE CONCLUSIONS, BUT AS

THE REPORT MAKES CLEAR, GIVEN

THE TOTALITY OF THE DAMAGE

THAT'S BEEN DONE TO CIVILIANS,

TO CHILDREN TO WOMEN TO MEN,

GIVEN THAT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT

ISRAEL CLEARLY HAS PROCEDURES,

RULES, REGULATIONS AND LAWS THAT

GO INTO THE TARGETING DECISIONS

THEY MAKE AND THE WAY THEY

CONDUCT THEMSELVESES AND THE

RESULTS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN TERMS

OF THE LOSS OF LIFE OF INNOCENT

CIVILIANS, IT'S REASONABLE TO

ASSESS AS WE SAY IN THE REPORT

THAT THERE ARE INSTANCES WHERE

THEY'VE ACTED INCONSISTENT WITH

OBLIGATIONS UNDER INTERNATIONAL

HUMANITARIAN LAW.

THOSE INVESTIGATIONS CONTINUE

BOTH BY US AND BY ISRAEL.

>> LET'S ZOOM OUT A BIT AND TALK

DID U.S. POLICY.

THE U.S. HAS URGED ISRAEL NOT TO

INVADE RAFAH AND TROOPS ARE ON

THE GROUND AND WE LEARNED THAT

300,000 PEOPLE ARE BEINGEC VAK

WAITED.

PRESIDENT BIDEN THREATENED TO

WITHHOLD CERTAIN WEAPONS WHILE

AT THE SAME TIME SENDING IN

OTHER WEAPONS AND BIG PICTURE.

WHY SHOULD ISRAEL BELIEVE THAT

THE U.S. IS WILLING TO BACK UP

ITS THREATS?

>> FIRST, LET'S STEP BACK FOR

ONE MINUTE AND NO ONE BEEN

WILLING TO DEFEND ISRAEL THAN

PRESIDENT BIDEN.

HE WAS THERE IN THE DAYS AFTER

OCTOBER 7th AND THE FIRST

PRESIDENT TO GO TO ISRAEL IN THE

MIDST OF A CONFLICT, WHEN IRAN

MOUNTED AN UNRESIDENTED ATTACK

ON ISRAEL.

300 PROJECTILES LAUNCHED AT

ISRAEL.

THE UNITED STATES FOR THE FOR

THE TIME EVER PARTICIPATED IN

THE ACT OF DEFENSE.

PRESIDENT BIDEN BROUGHT TOGETHER

A COALITION OF COUNTRIES TO

DEFEND ISRAEL AND NO ONE HAS

DONE MORE THAN JOE BIDEN.

AT THE SAME TIME WHAT WE'VE SEEN

OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS IS A

DEEP CONCERN ON OUR PART ABOUT

THE POSSIBILITY OF A MAJOR

MILITARY OPERATION IN RAFAH

GIVEN THE DAMAGE IT WOULD DO TO

CIVILIANS AND THERE ARE MORE

THAN 1.4 MILLION GAZANS IN

RAFAH.

THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE PLAN TO GET

THEM OUT OF HARM'S WAY AND

SUPPORT THEM AND THE PRESIDENT

HAS BEEN CLEAR FOR SOME TIME

THAT WE COULDN'T AND WOULD NOT

SUPPORT A MAJOR MILITARY

OPERATION IN RAFAH.

AT THE SAME TIME WE SHARE

ISRAEL'S OBJECTIVE OF MAKING

SURE THAT HAMAS CANNOT GOVERN

GAZA ANYMORE AND ISRAEL GET ITS

LEADERS AND THERE'S A BETTER WAY

OF ACHIEVING THAT THAN GOING

HEADLONG INTO RAFAH.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

WITH ISRAEL NOW AND WE HAVE A

BETTER WAY OF DOING IT AND WE

ARE ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS

ABOUT THAT, BUT THE PRESIDENT

ANSWERING A QUESTION WAS VERY

CLEAR ABOUT WHERE WE ARE ON

RAFAH ITSELF AND WHAT WE WOULD

DO OR NOT DO IN THE EVENT THAT

THEY GO WITH THE MAJOR MILITARY

OPERATION.

>> I HEAR YOU SAYING A CREDIBLE

PLAN YET FOR HOW ISRAEL WOULD GO

INTO RAFAH AND MITIGATE CIVILIAN

CASUALTIES.

IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT PRESIDENT

BIDEN AND PRIME MINISTER

NETANYAHU ARE NOT SEEING EYE TO

EYE RIGHT NOW?

>> TWO THINGS.

ONE IS THAT AS THE PRESIDENT

SAID IN MANY CONVERSATIONS OVER

THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, THERE

HAS TO BE A CREDIBLE PLAN FOR

THE CIVILIANS.

>> HAVE YOU SEEN A CREDIBLE

PLAN?

>> WE HAVE NOT.

SECOND, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE

THAT'S IMPORTANT.

WE ALSO HAVEN'T SEEN A PLAN FOR

WHAT HAPPENS THE DAY AFTER THIS

WAR IN GAZA ENDS BECAUSE RIGHT

NOW THE TRAJECTORY THAT ISRAEL

IS ON IS EVEN IF IT GOES IN AND

TAKES HEAVY ACTION IN RAFAH

THERE WILL STILL BE THOUSANDS OF

ARMED HAMAS LEFT.

WE'VE SEEN IN AREAS THAT ISRAEL

HAS CLEARED IN THE NORTH EVEN IN

KHAN YOUNIS AND HAMAS COMING

BACK.

GOING INTO RAFAH EVEN TO DEAL

WITH THESE REMAINING BATTALIONS

ESPECIALLY IN THE ABSENCE OF A

PLAN FOR CIVILIANS RISKS DOING

TERRIBLE HARM TO CIVILIANS AND A

PROBLEM THAT WE WANT TO SOLVE

WHICH IS MACKING SUREKING SURE T

DOESN'T GOVERN GAZA AND ISRAEL

IS TO INHERIT AN INSURGENCE WITH

HAMAS LEFT OR IF IT LEAVES A

VACUUM FILLED BY CHAOS AND

ANARCHY AND REFILLED BY HAMAS,

WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO THEM ABOUT

A MUCH BETTER WAY TO GET AN

ENDURING RESULT BOTH IN GAZA

ITSELF AND MUCH MORE BROADLY IN

THE REGION.

THOSE CONVERSATIONS DONE AND

THAT'S WHAT PARTNERS AND ALLIES

DO.

WE ARE CLEAR-EYED AND WE SPEAK

THE TRUTH TO EACH OTHER AS WE

SEE IT.

WE HAVE AMERICAN INTERESTS FIRST

AND FOREMOST IN MIND.

WE ALSO HAVE ISRAEL'S INTEREST

IN MIND AND THERE MAY BE A

DIFFERENCE IN VIEW IN THE BEST

WAY TO ACHIEVE THEM, BUT THAT'S

ALSO THE NATURE OF THE

RELATIONSHIP.

>> I WANT TO DRILL DOWN WITH YOU

ON PRESIDENT BIDEN'S THREAT TO

WITHHOLD WEAPONS.

WHAT, EXACTLY, IS HIS RED LINE,

MR. SECRETARY?

WHAT WOULD TRIGGER HIM TO SAY I

AM NOW WITHHOLDING WEAPONS?

>> WE DON'T TALK ABOUT RED LINES

WHEN IT COMES TO ISRAEL.

>> PRESIDENT BIDEN DID TALK

ABOUT A RED LINE, THOUGH, MR.

SECRETARY, RESPECTFULLY?

WHAT WOULD TRIGGER HIM TO MAKE

THAT DECISION?

>> SURE.

FIRST, WE HAVE BEEN HOLDING BACK

AND WE'RE IN ACTIVE KFRLG

CONVERSATIONS WITH ISRAEL ABOUT

THE HEAVY AND HIGH PAYLOAD

WEAPONS, LARGE BOMBS BECAUSE OF

THE CONCERN THAT WE HAVE ABOUT

THE EFFECT THESE WEAPONS CAN

HAVE WHEN USED IN A DENSE, URBAN

ENVIRONMENT LIKE RAFAH.

WE ARE DISCUSSING THAT WITH

ISRAEL RIGHT NOW.

SECOND, WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID

THAT IF ISRAEL GOES IN WITH A

MAJOR MILITARY OPERATION IN

RAFAH, IN THAT CASE THERE ARE

CERTAIN SYSTEMS THAT WE WILL NOT

PROVIDE TO ISRAEL THAT WOULD AID

THAT EFFORT BECAUSE IT'S

SOMETHING THAT WE DO NOT WANT TO

BE PART OF GIVEN THE DAMAGE THAT IT WOULD DO TO CIVILIANS AND

IT WOULD DO TO CIVILIANS AND

AGAIN, NOT TO ACHIEVE A DURABLE,

LASTING EFFECTIVE RESULT FOR

SECURITY AND THAT'S WHAT THE

PRESIDENT SAID AND WE SAID THAT

IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR

ISRAELI PARTNERS.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT LEAKED

OUT, BUT PRESIDENT RESPONDED

FORTHRIGHTLY ABOUT THE QUESTION.

>> MR. SECRETARY, I WANT TO ASK

YOU ABOUT THE VERY LATEST ABOUT

GETTING OF THE HOSTAGES RELEASED

FOR A CEASEFIRE.

WE KNOW THAT THE CIA DIRECTOR

HAS SINCE RETURNED HOME.

DID THOSE TALKS FALL APART

BECAUSE PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU

WAS THREATENING AND IS MAKING

MOVES TO GO INTO RAFAH?

>> LOOK, FIRST IT'S IMPORTANT TO

REMIND OURSELVES THAT HAMAS

SHOULD HAVE ENDED THIS DAY ONE.

THIS NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED,

WAS THERE A CEASEFIRE THAT HAMAS

DESTROYED IN THE MOST BARBARIC

WAY POSSIBLE, HUMANLY

IMAGINABLE, BUT EVERY DAY AFTER

THAT, HAMAS COULD HAVE DECIDED

TO GIVE UP THE HOSTAGES AND STOP

HIDING BEHIND CIVILIANS, AND PUT

DOWN ITS WEAPONS AND ALL OF THIS

COULD HAVE BEEN OVER.

THE QUICKEST WAY FOR THIS TO END

IS FOR HAMS TO GIVE UP THE

HOSTAGES AND WE WOULD GET A

CEASEFIRE THAT WE CAN BUILD ON

AND BUILD SOMETHING MORE LASTING

AND MORE DURABLE.

THE DIFFERENT TEAMS CONTINUE TO

TALK.

IT REMAINS ABLEABLE THAT THE

FASTEST WAY TO GET TO A

CEASEFIRE AND THE FASTEST WAY TO

GET TO AN AGREEMENT IS THROUGH A

CEASEFIRE AND TO TRY TO GET IT

TO HAPPEN.

I THINK YOU CAN QUESTION WHETHER

HAMAS ACTUALLY WANTS TO GET

THIS.

IT WOULD ALSO BE THE BEST WAY

THAT WE CAN SURGE HUMANITARIAN

ASSISTANCE AND BETTER PROTECT

CIVILIANS IN GAZA.

HAMAS REPORTS TO BE INTERESTED

IN THAT.

ITS ACTIONS CERTAINLY

DEMONSTRATE THE OPPOSITE.

>> ALL RIGHT.

SECRETARY BLINKEN, THANK YOU SO

MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.

>> WHEN WE COME BACK,

INDEPENDENT SENATOR BERNIE

SANDERS OF VERMONT JOINS ME NEXT.

>>> WELCOME BACK.

>>> WELCOME BACK.

AS TENSIONS ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

MOUNT, STUDENTS PROTESTED THE

WAR IN GAZA AT COMMENCEMENT

CEREMONIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

ON SATURDAY FROM BERKELEY,

CALIFORNIA, TO CHAPEL HILL,

NORTH CAROLINA AND MADISON,

WISCONSIN, DOZENS OF STUDENTS

WALKED OUT OF THE VIRGINIA

COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY CEREMONY

AS GOVERNOR GLEN YOUNGKIN

DELIVERED THE COMMENCEMENT

ADDRESS THERE.

JOINING ME IS THE INDEPENDENT

SENATOR FROM VERMONT, BERNIE

SANDERS.

SENATOR SANDERS, WELCOME BACK TO

"MEET THE PRESS".

>> GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

>> WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE

ON A BUSY SUNDAY MORNING AND I

WANT TO GET YOUR REACTION TO THE

STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT AND WHAT

YOU HEARD FROM THE SECRETARY OF

STATE DEFENDING THE REPORT AND

THERE WAS NO DEFINITIVE

CONCLUSION AND HE HAD NOT SEEN A

DEFINITIVE PLAN FROM ISRAEL TO

GO INTO RAFAH WITHOUT MITIGATING

CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.

WHAT WAS YOUR TAKEAWAY, SENATOR?

>> KRISTEN, I HAVE A LOT OF

RESPECT FOR TONY BLINKEN. HE HAS AN IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT

HE HAS AN IMPOSSIBLY DIFFICULT

JOB, BUT THE REALITY IS IS I

THINK AS ANY OBJECTIVE OBSERVER

KNOWS, ISRAEL HAS BROKEN

INTERNATIONAL LAW, IT HAS BROKEN

AMERICAN LAW AND ISRAEL SHOULD

NOT BE RECEIVING ANOTHER NICK

KNELLEL

IN U.S. MILITARY AID.

HAMAS IS A DISGUSTING TERRORIST

OESHGDZ

ORGANIZATION THAT BEGAN THIS WAR

AND WHAT ISRAEL HAS DONE IS IT

HAS GONE TO WAR AGAINST THE

ENTIRE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE AND

THE RESULTS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY

CATASTROPHIC.

KRISTEN, WE'RE TALKING NOT JUST

35,000 PALESTINIANS DEAD AND

77,000 WOUNDED, TWO-THIRDS OF

WHOM ARE WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND

THAT IS NOT THE WAY YOU CONDUCT

CIVILIZED SOCIETY.

WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 60% OF THE

HOUSING IN GAZA HAVING BEEN

DESTROYED, THE CIVILIAN

INFRASTRUCTURE, THAT'S WATER,

THAT IS RAW SEWAGE.

RUNNING OUT INTO THE STREETS.

SNOW

NO ELECTRICITY.

YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT A

SYSTEMATIC DESTRUCTION OF THE

HEALTHCARE SYSTEM THERE, EVERY

UNIVERSITY IN GAZA HAS BEEN

BOMBED AND RIGHT NOW MOST

FRIGHTENINGLY, ACCORDING TO THE

HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS WE

ARE LOOKING AT THE LIKELIHOOD OF

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF

CHILDREN FACING STARVATION, THE

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE ACT IS VERY

CLEAR, ANY ENTITY, ANY STATE,

ANY COUNTRY THAT BLOCKS U.S.

HUMANITARIAN AID IS IN VILEATION

OF LAW AND SHOULD NOT CONTINUE

TO RECEIVE MILL TAERITARY AID AN

IS PRECISELY WHAT ISRAEL HAS

DONE.

>> LET ME PRESS YOU.

YOU BELIEVE ISRAEL SHOULDN'T

RECEIVE ANOTHER CENT AND YET 26

HOUSE DEMOCRATS WROTE A LETTER

TO THE WHITE HOUSE SAYING,

QUOTE, THEY ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED

ABOUT THE MESSAGE THE

ADMINISTRATION IS SENDING TO

HAMAS AND OTHER IRANIAN-BACKED

TERRORIST PROXIES.

DOES WITHHOLDING WEAPONS TO

ISRAEL RUN THE RISK OF

PROLONGING THIS WAR AND WEAKENING ISRAEL'S HAND AGAINST

WEAKENING ISRAEL'S HAND AGAINST

HAMAS?

>> NO -- LOOK, EVERY REPUBLICAN,

AS I UNDERSTAND IT WANTS TO GIVE

HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY TO ISRAEL.

MY GUESS IS THAT MANY

REPUBLICANS WANT ISRAEL TO GO

INTO RAFAH DESPITE THE

INCREDIBLE HUMANITARIAN

DESTRUCTION THAT WILL CAUSE AND

THERE ARE DEMOCRATS WHO ALSO

FEEL THAT WAY, BUT THIS IS WHAT

I WILL TELL YOU, KRISTEN, THAT

IS NOT WHAT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE

FEEL.

POLL AFTER POLL SUGGEST THAT THE

AMERICAN PEOPLE WANT AN

IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.

THEY WANT MASSIVE HUMANITARIAN

AID TO GET IN.

PEOPLE OF OUR COUNTRY DO NOT

WANT TO BE COMPLICIT IN THE STAR

VAGSZ OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS

OF CHILDREN.

BY THE WAY, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT

THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, WE

ARE INCREASINGLY ISOLATED IN

TERMS OF OUR SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL

WHO IS BECOMING A PARIAH NATION.

>> SENATOR, IS THERE A

NON-MILITARY WAY TO GET RID OF

HAMAS GIVEN THE THREAT THAT THEY

POSE?

GIVEN THAN THEY SAY THEIR VERY