Former President Barack Obama released a lengthy statement Monday attacking Israel’s response to Hamas terrorism.
The former president began his statement by expressing solidarity with Israel before saying that “we should also be clear that how Israel prosecutes this fight against Hamas matters.”
“In particular, it matters — as President Biden has repeatedly emphasized — that Israel’s military strategy abides by international law, including those laws that seek to avoid, to every extent possible, the death or suffering of civilian populations.” (RELATED: Former Gov Drops Harvard Fellowship Over ‘Dangerous Anti-Semitism’ On Campus)
I wanted to share some thoughts on what’s happening right now in Israel and Gaza.https://t.co/fEaYWFisnN
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 23, 2023
“Still, the world is watching closely as events in the region unfold, and any Israeli military strategy that ignores the human costs could ultimately backfire,” Obama said.
“Already, thousands of Palestinians have been killed in the bombing of Gaza, many of them children. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes. The Israeli government’s decision to cut off food, water and electricity to a captive civilian population threatens not only to worsen a growing humanitarian crisis; it could further harden Palestinian attitudes for generations, erode global support for Israel, play into the hands of Israel’s enemies, and undermine long term efforts to achieve peace and stability in the region.”
The former president then called on Israel to talk with Palestinian leaders who recognize Israel’s right to exist so that they can then “begin articulating a viable pathway for Palestinians to achieve their legitimate aspirations for self-determination.”
Obama also said people must reject “efforts to minimize the terrible tragedy that the Israeli people have just endured, as well as the morally-bankrupt suggestion that any cause can somehow justify the deliberate slaughter of innocent people.”
Hamas terrorists launched a deadly attack on Oct. 7, slaughtering more than 1,400 people and taking hundreds hostage, Reuters reported. President Joe Biden has tried to tie aid for Israel to aid for Ukraine, which has been the cause of strife on the Hill, as Republican seek to cut aid to Ukraine.