Tim Walz ignores Hamas in statement about Gaza war, says anti-Israel protesters have 'all the right reasons'
By: Josh Christenson Published (New York Post)
Fence sitter..............
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Josh ChristensonPublished Sep. 6, 2024, 11:44 a.m. ET
Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz didn't mention the name of Hamas — or place any direct blame on the terror group for the Oct. 7 massacre when asked how he and Kamala Harris would handle the war in the Gaza Strip.
Asked by Michigan National Public Radio affiliate WCMU Thursday how "a Harris-Walz administration [would] handle the conflict" and whether it would "break with the Biden administration in any way," the Minnesota governor briefly mentioned the "horrific" terror attack without specifying its perpetrator.
"I think first and foremost what we saw on October 7th was a horrific act of violence against the people of Israel. They have certainly, and the vice president said it, I've said it, have the right to defend themselves and the United States will always stand by that," Walz began, before quickly adding, "but we can't allow what's happened in Gaza to happen."
6Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz didn't mention the name of Hamas — or attribute any direct blame to the terror group in an interview with NPR affiliate WCMU on Thursday. Getty Images
"The Palestinian people have every right to life and liberty themselves. We need to continue, I think to put the leverage on to make sure we move towards a two-state solution," Walz went on.
"I think we're at a critical point right now. We need the [Israel Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu government to start moving in that direction."
"But I think those folks who are speaking out loudly in Michigan are speaking out for all the right reasons. It's a humanitarian crisis. It can't stand the way it is," the man who could be a heartbeat away from the presidency concluded.
6Walz said the US needed to apply "leverage" to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu to end the "humanitarian crisis" in Gaza and reach a "cease-fire with the return of the hostages." REUTERS
"And we need to find a way that people can live together in this and we've said it and continue to say it, getting a cease-fire with the return of the hostages and then moving towards a sustainable two-state solution is the only way forward."
Both Harris and Walz have issued statements paying lip service to the Jewish state's right to defend itself before calling out the dubious reported civilian death toll in Gaza with no mention of Hamas' culpability.
Critics have accused the Democratic presidential and vice presidential candidates of casting a moral equivalence between the Israeli military and Hamas — and pro-Israel voices condemned Walz once again after his comments became public.
6The Harris-Walz sidestep on the Israel-Hamas war, in which both have issued statements about the Jewish state's right to defend itself before gesturing toward the high civilian death toll in Gaza without mentioning the terror group's culpability. MICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
"So Israel has the right to defend itself except when it defends itself, and Hamas doesn't exist in this narrative, and an American wasn't murdered by Hamas this weekend, and my Minnesota Zionist grandparents are rolling over in their graves at this disgrace," Commentary editor John Podhoretz wrote on X.
"Kamala Harris and Tim Walz want 'to put the leverage on' Israel to ensure Hamas survives to kill again?" asked Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.). "And they believe pro-Hamas radicals 'are speaking out for all the right reasons'? Revolting moral equivalence."
On Sunday, Walz literally dodged a question at the Minnesota State Fair about Hamas' recent murder of six hostages, including American Hersh Goldberg-Polin.
"What's your reaction to the six hostages being found dead in Gaza?" a reporter queried.
Walz ignored the question, turned around and waved to attendees and reporters before saying, "All right, thanks, everybody," and walking away.
6In her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee, Vice President Kamala Harris told CNN that Israel's actions in the war could have an effect on whether the US would withhold any aid. Will Lanzoni/CNN
He later issued a statement that referred to Hamas as a "brutal terrorist organization."
"The anguish of losing a child is something no family should have to endure. Gwen and I send our deepest condolences to the Goldberg-Polin family, after Hamas' murder of their son Hersh," Walz posted on X.
"Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization — and we condemn their continued atrocities against both Americans and Israelis in the strongest possible terms."
6Harris reportedly met with organizers of the group that started the Uncommitted National Movement in July and agreed to talk about an arms embargo on Israel. AFP via Getty Images
Critical 2024 states like Michigan are home to a large Muslim American population and other anti-Israel Democratic constituencies that declined to back President Biden in the Democratic primary over his administration's support for Israel during the war.
Harris reportedly met with organizers of the group that started the Uncommitted National Movement in July and agreed to talk about an arms embargo on Israel.
The VP's national security adviser, Phil Gordon, denied the interaction and said Harris would "always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups."
6The VP's national security adviser, Phil Gordon, denied the interaction and said Harris would "always ensure Israel is able to defend itself against Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups." AFP via Getty Images
In her first interview as the Democratic presidential nominee, Harris told CNN last week she would not have a change in policy but implied that Israel's actions could have an effect on whether the US would withhold any aid.
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said days later voters could expect Harris to chart "a new direction" on Israel, while discussing various ways that the US could pull funding for Israeli military aid.
"The Vice President has made clear she will always ensure Israel has what it needs to defend itself from Iran and Iran-backed terrorists, like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis," Dean Lieberman, a spokesman and deputy national security adviser, said in a statement following Khanna's remarks.
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I guess this is a sign of things to come??
Shades of Biden. Handlers telling the pair, evidently, "Don't answer any fucking questions! We have to make people wait to see what's in you till after the election.".
The Harris/Walz campaign is slowly imploding, thanks to ongoing blunders of the worst kind, like this one.
I wonder how many Jewish voters will get tired of this continual pandering to pro-Hamas terrorists by the democrats.
Jews historically have mostly voted liberal, but I'll bet that this time around a lot will either vote for an independent or not vote at all.
My money is that the putz probably has no idea hostages were taken or that some of the hostages are US Citizens.
I’m surprised he did not ask Hamas if he can provide tampons to terrorist bathrooms
No wonder both of them avoid answering questions like the plague.
What would Kamala Harris and Tim Walz force Israelis to give up to get a cease fire? What assurances will Kamala Harris and Tim Walz make that the hostages will be released?
Will Harris/Walz demand a United Nations peace keeping mission deployed to Gaza? Will Harris/Walz demand democratic elections by Palestinians, monitored by the United Nations? Will Harris/Walz hold anyone other than Benjamin Netanyahu responsible and accountable?
Or is Tim Walz only preemptively lining up scapegoats as CYA on the off chance Harris will win? That would be a continuation of the Biden legacy.
The two state solution is politics of the past. All opportunities for a two state solution have been explored and rejected. The two state solution has been kicked around since the first discussions about creating a Jewish state in 1937. Over the last 77 years, since Israel was partitioned, the Palestinians have failed to make any progress establishing a state for themselves. If a two state solution hasn't happened by now then it's really quite unlikely Harris/Walz can do anything to make it a reality.
Really? You can't let this to happen? So what are you going to do, Tim? Are you going to ask the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists and their UNRWA helpers to please don't do that again? Are you going to arm the Hamas terrorists? Hey, both sides now would be good for the American Military Industrial Complex, think of those taxes. Are you going to tell them that hiding among their civilians and using them for human shields is not a nice thing to do?...same as hiding their control centres and weapons in and under hospitals, schools, mosques, playgrounds and refugee centres? The United Nations and the International Court of Justice thinks those things are okay, so I guess you do too, eh? I thought you would have brought some common sense to the relationship with China, but now you've lost me because I am and will be absolutely supportive of Israel as long as I live and I wish that every Hamas and Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah and Houthie terrorist and although I know there are decent Palestinians, every Palestinian terrorist whose desire and attempts to bring to fruition "From the river to the sea" should die an agonizing death in such way that they will "lie a-moldring in their graves" and not ever get to deflower their promised 72 virgins or sojourn in the Garden of Allah for all eternity. You lost me, Tim, because you can't lie that you're really WITH Israel when you use a forked tongue. There is no "in-between" position available.