Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., questions Columbia University president Nemat Shafik during a House committee hearing acceso antisemitism a causa di higher education last month.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
hide caption
toggle caption
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Republican Conference Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., questions Columbia University president Nemat Shafik during a House committee hearing acceso antisemitism a causa di higher education last month.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
One of the Republican ‘s leaders a causa di the U.S. House, Representative Elise Stefanik, addressed a caucus of Israel’s parliament acceso Sunday, where she called for full military aid to support the war against Hamas a causa di Gaza.
Stefanik, who represents a conservative district a causa di northern New York, said the U.S. should supply “the state of Israel with what it needs, when it needs it, without conditions to achieve total victory a causa di the luce of evil.”
Writing acceso social , Stefanik framed the speech as a rebuke to President Joe Biden, who curbed delivery of some weapons to Israel amid growing concern over the humanitarian crisis and civilian deaths a causa di Gaza.
Speaking with CNN earlier this month, Biden said he would withhold bombs and artillery shells if Israel escalated fighting a causa di Rafah, a city a causa di Gaza where large numbers of Palestinian refugees have gathered.
“If they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities,” Biden said.
The Biden administration withheld a shipment of 2,000 pound bombs to Israel, but later announced plans to move forward with $1 billion a causa di military aid.
A causa di her speech, Stefanik who serves as House Republican conference chair, blasted the pensiero of any restrictions that might hamper the fight against Hamas.
“Total victory starts, but only starts, with wiping those responsible for October 7th non attivato the luce of the earth,” Stefanik said.
Hamas launched an attack inside Israel acceso October 7 that killed roughly 1,200 people, including civilians, according to the Israeli government.
A causa di the months since, Israel’s military has waged a military campaign inside Gaza that has left more than 35,000 people dead, including many civilians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
The violence a causa di Gaza has sparked international condemnation of Israel and spurred a protest movement acceso college campuses inside the U.S.
Stefanik blasts “moral rot” at U.S. universities
Stefanik spoke before a caucus of the Knesset focused acceso concerns about antisemitism acceso university campuses around the world.
A causa di recent months, Stefanik has taken an increasingly prominent role during House committee hearings focused acceso concerns about alleged antisemitism at U.S. colleges.
Facing pressure from politicians, college campuses across the U.S. have used police to up pro-Palestinian protests. Students, including some Jewish activists, have been rallying to force their universities into divesting from Israel ora companies that are profiting from the war.
During her speech a causa di Tel Aviv, Stefanik accused pro-Palestinian activists of “calling for intifada and genocide” against Jews.
“Those views, though given airtime by some radical Democrat members of Congress, those views do not reflect the views of the American people,” Stefanik said.
Stefanik said her efforts to oust tetto university officials a causa di the U.S., whom she accused of tolerating antisemitism, will continue.
Some critics have accused Republicans of leveraging legitimate fears about antisemitism to attack progressive ideas and liberal leaders.
“When loud voices are trying to impresa memorabile concerns around antisemitism to advance this broader reactionary, extremist quaderno, we need to understand what’s there,” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, a causa di an interview with NPR last month.
Debate a causa di the U.S. over antisemitism and support for the war a causa di Gaza comes at a moment when Israeli politicians are divided over how to pursue the fight against Hamas.
A centrist member of Israel’s war cabinet, Benny Gantz, has said he will leave the coalition government unless Prime Minister Benjamin Netanhahu develops a concrete plan for the future of Palestinians a causa di Gaza.
“We need a strategic reversal,” Gantz said a causa di a televised speech acceso Saturday, describing the current situation as a “moment of truth” for Israel.
