Waltz: Israel, U.S. Can’t Deradicalize Gaza By Themselves

On Tuesday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “The Story,” Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL) argued that deradicalizing Gaza will “have to get to the current leadership of the Palestinian Authority, how they are educating their youth.” And he doesn’t believe “Israel can do that alone or even with the United States. It’s going to take the international Arab and Islamic community to step in.”

Host Bret Baier said, [relevant exchange begins around 3:20] “You were a Green Beret in Afghanistan, and it’s pretty tough to do, to deradicalize any population, especially when you’re engaged in fighting that is almost creating more radical terrorists at the time.”

Waltz responded, “Yeah, that’s absolutely right. That’s going to have to get to the current leadership of the Palestinian Authority, how they are educating their youth. Again, I don’t know that Israel — I don’t think Israel can do that alone or even with the United States. It’s going to take the international Arab and Islamic community to step in. I do believe there will be a willingness from conversations that I’ve had, whether it’s with Jordan, Egypt, and the Gulf states, that, once Hamas is finished that behind the scenes, they are saying they are willing to take a greater role. And that is going to be absolutely critical. What that looks like though, is obviously a huge question.”

Waltz also stated that if Iran has a lot of money, there will be terrorism in Gaza.

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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