Interview with Rep. Brad Sherman

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

This is Israel's 9/11. This will have to go on for some time because Israel is going to have to dismantle Hamas. They can't just absorb these casualties because if they do, then this will happen again two months from now or four months from.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

We should provide the tools and intelligence that Israel can use in the coming months, but also the diplomatic support because there are already those who are telling Israel to stand down, to do nothing, to absorb the casualties and not respond.
And in fact, Israel is going to have to respond. You can't leave this monster in Gaza any longer.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ridiculous, partisan, petty and political. The fact is that under every president's watch, there's been terrorist action from Hamas. And this effort is an effort to derail what Biden is doing that's very good, which is the normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

So by coming close to a very important accomplishment, Hamas has gotten desperate and they've thrown everything they can against Israel.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

It is - I'm not sure this will derail it, but it's clear that that's the purpose of this. I mean, look, Hamas wants to kill as many Israeli civilians as possible every day of the week, but they took an extraordinary action now because they see the possibility of normalization and something that gets the peace process moving.

And Hamas, their announced in constant refrain is that they want to expel every Israeli from the Middle East. They will not - no peace until all Jews are driven out.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

I don't think it'll prevent us from doing what we need to do to help Israel. I think that providing the tools is something that the president can do with monies that have already been appropriated in that short-term. The key is what we say off the floor and on the floor in special orders to say that we stand with Israel. And I think the vast majority of members will be saying that and making it clear that we don't just stand with Israel when it's the victim. We stand with Israel when they do the necessary retaliation.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

I think that keeps going. There may be some who take a step back when Israel does what it has to do. But Israel can't just be a victim in this case. It has to make itself safe for the future.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

If that's what Israel needs to do, I would support it and I'd understand it, because if you don't dismantle Hamas today, they're going to be back tomorrow.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

You've got to be concerned about that. But the vast power of the Israeli defense forces is - are there civilians that are called up. And I would expect Israel to mobilize and to have more power on their northern border two weeks from now than they do today. So I think Israel has had to fight on several fronts at once in '67 and '73 and, of course, in its war of independence.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Iran provides 70 percent of the financing for Hamas, a hundred percent for its junior brother, who's also involved in these terrorist attacks, Islamic Jihad. There is no way that this happened without either tacit or explicit encouragement from Iran. And that's why in the Iranian modulus, their parliament, people are shouting death to Israel gleefully as they count up the number of women and children killed.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Good to be with you.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source