Former Vice President Mike Pence said during an interview over the weekend that the recent terrorist attacks in Israel were a direct result of weakness from President Joe Biden.
Pence made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Kristen Welker on NBC News’s “Meet The Press” when asked about additional funding that the White House is trying to get passed through Congress to deal with multiple overseas conflicts.
“If the world knows nothing else, the world needs to know this: America stands with Israel,” he said. “What happened two weeks ago was the most brutal assault on the Jewish people since the Holocaust. And we need to stand with Israel as they prepare to do what needs to be done, which is going to require a ground invasion. They’re going to have to hunt down and destroy Hamas once and for all. And there’s going to be hardship. There’s going to be difficulty.”
The Republican presidential candidate said that “American clarity and leadership” was more important now than ever before.
This is “what happens after a disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,” he said. “It’s also what happens after two years of appeasement by President Biden with Iran. And I really do believe it’s also what happens when voices in my own party have been signaling retreat from the war raging in – in Ukraine, and even one candidate for president, Vivek Ramaswamy, recently was sounding the retreat in support for Israel.”
“I mean, it was about a month ago Vivek Ramaswamy actually said that we wouldn’t send American armed forces into harm’s way if Iran attacked Israel,” Pence later added. “Look, there’s that old Bible verse that says, ‘If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will know to get ready for battle?’ I really believe, in this moment, America has to send a clear call that we will stand with Israel every step of the way as they do what needs to be done. I agree with what one Israeli official said recently. Israel and Hamas cannot coexist. We must support Israel in their effort to crush Hamas and secure their nation.”
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