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U.S. Sen. Tim Scott defends Israel’s actions in Gaza, calls for Biden to denounce progressives [1]
['Robin Opsahl', 'More From Author', '- October']
Date: 2023-10-21
MAQUOKETA — Republican presidential candidate Tim Scott, campaigning in Iowa Saturday, defended the U.S. support of Israel in its actions in the Gaza Strip, saying the country’s military is working with a “moral compass” as they combat Hamas.
The South Carolina senator shook hands and answered questions from Iowans at City Limits diner in Maquoketa. One of the first questions he fielded was about why U.S. politicians are focused on the conflict between Israel and Hamas instead of domestic issues.
Scott said America needs to stand with Israel, saying “if you are not loyal to your allies, you will never be lethal to your adversaries.”
He also said Israel is acting morally in its military action against Hamas. He said ordering the evacuation of the northern region of Gaza a week prior shows Israel’s commitment to “trying to preserve innocent life.”
More than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed since the conflict began, the AP reported Saturday, including more than 1,700 children. Roughly half of Gaza’s population is under age 18, according to the United Nations. More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed, most in the initial Hamas attack on Oct. 7.
Scott said the calls from some international organizations — as well as American progressives like U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib — to condemn Israel’s actions were not considering “the facts.” The Republican presidential candidate said Hamas was using Palestinian civilians as “human shields.” He also pointed to recent polling that found most Palestinians in Gaza supported Hamas.
“For us to have a serious conversation about the dignity of life … from a Hamas perspective, is one you cannot have when they will literally use their own people as a way of killing Jews,” Scott said.
While President Joe Biden has repeatedly spoken in support of Israel, Scott said Biden cannot “speak truth” on the issue because of members of his own party who are critical of Israel. The president is at the “beck and call” of progressives like Tlaib and U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, he said, who are “propaganda machines and an extension of Hamas.”
Biden needs to tell progressives that anti-Israel sentiments are unwelcome in the Democratic Party, he said.
“They’re always talking about what’s happening in our party, but they will refuse to hold their party accountable,” Scott said.
Dale Scott of Maquoketa said Tim Scott is on his “short list” for the 2024 Republican caucuses, but former President Donald Trump is still at the top of his list. However, Dale Scott said he had concerns about Trump — namely, that the 2024 presidential election could be a repeat of 2020, when Trump lost to Biden, and that congressional opposition to Trump could keep him from accomplishing much if elected.
“If (Trump) had gotten any help when he was in there, there’s no telling where we’d be right now,” Dale Scott said. “He did the right things. He’s not — morally, maybe, he had some issues, but I don’t care. … But maybe DeSantis or Scott, a more polished, traditional politician might be able to accomplish more than he could.”
Scott was one of seven GOP presidential candidates campaigning in Iowa this weekend. He joined the other six Friday night at U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meek’s fundraiser in Iowa City and was headed to Cedar Falls later Saturday to campaign with Sen. Chuck Grassley.
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