Israel has 'no choice' on Rafah invasion as long as Hamas is holding hostages, says former PM Bennett
Former Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett addressed the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas and concerns over U.S. involvement and rising antisemitism on "Sunday Night in America."
Bennett assured Fox News host Trey Gowdy that Israel would continue to push the offensive so long as Hamas holds hostages.
"Hamas is, I would say, dedicated to destroying and annihilating Israel. They say it explicitly. They say they're going to continue trying to kill Jews as long as they exist and they are on our border, so we really have no choice," Bennett said.
Bennett also addressed recent statements by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi calling for regime change in Israel. He highlighted the importance of Israel's democratic processes, contrasting it with non-democratic regimes like Iran and others throughout the Middle East.
"Israel is a vibrant democracy, and domestically, within Israel we voice our opposition, voice our support. Everyone voices whatever they want. And it's the Israeli public's business to choose their leaders. Israel is a democracy," Bennett said. "The other places you mentioned, such as Iran or other locations are not necessarily democracies, and it makes sense to change a regime there."
Concerns about U.S. involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict were also raised, particularly reports of the Biden administration conditioning ammunition support for Israeli actions in Gaza.
Last week, the Biden administration put a hold on a shipment of U.S.-manufactured ammunition to Israel for the first time since the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, according to Axios.
"I hope it's not true. I heard the rumor. I hope it's not true because we're fighting not only Israel's war, we're at the forefront fighting the war against radical Islam, radical Islam in Gaza that is attacking Israelis, radical Islam in Europe that attacks Europeans, radical Islam on campuses in the United States of America, where they're explicitly saying that they want America to change its laws to be Sharia, religious Islamic laws," Bennett said.
"So we have to push this whole wave back, and we're the ones doing the fighting, and we know that it's our task to do it. What we expect is that our friends have our back."
In addressing college students engaging in antisemitic behavior at American colleges, Bennett expressed hope that their actions stemmed from naivety rather than malice.
"I would hope that it's a naivete of these college students. They are so much on the wrong side. And I guess in a few years, when they grow up, they'll – some of them at least – will realize how stupid it was, what they're doing, because they're fighting against the only democracy, liberal democracy in the Middle East."
He added, "I can only be sorry about it. I'm sure that in the future, they'll realize how mistaken this approach was."