On Tuesday’s broadcast of NewsNation’s “On Balance,” House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) stated that while Iran is the root of the problems in the Middle East, Israel must, at some point, “find someone they can make peace with,” and “make peace with the Lebanese and the Palestinians” as they did with other countries.
After reading from an op-ed from Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) where Van Hollen pushed for the U.S. to push harder for a two-state solution by cutting off and conditioning aid to Israel, host Leland Vittert said, “This is the Democratic Party going back to the failed construct of an understanding of the Middle East that the root of all problems is the Palestinian conflict, not Iran.”
Smith responded, “I don’t disagree with you on that. Now, I will say that Israel is making this increasingly difficult. And I think, most recently, the images of how they seized the flotilla — which they have every right to do –” but how they treated the members of the flotilla was a problem.
Smith added, “Israel deserves our support. They could be helping us a heck of a lot more than they are right now. At some point, they have to find someone they can make peace with, continuing to expand the campaign in Lebanon, expand the campaign in Gaza –.”
After Vittert cut in to point to peace agreements Israel made with other nations in the region, Smith said, “I want them to make peace with the Lebanese and the Palestinians the same way they made peace with all those people you just said, because what they accepted with all those people you just listed, they didn’t get total victory over any of them.”
As the interview wrapped, Vittert said that it would help if Hezbollah left, which Smith agreed with.
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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