Words of the Week

“TAPPER: Senator Sanders told me that Israel’s response in Gaza was disproportionate — that was his word — leading to an unnecessary loss of innocent life.

And you told ‘The Atlantic’ in 2014 that — quote — ‘Israel did what it had to do to respond to the attacks.’

What do you make of Senator Sanders’ take on it, that it was disproportionate?

H. CLINTON: Well, he will have to speak for himself, but…

TAPPER: You don’t agree, though?

H. CLINTON: Well, I agree with what I said, which is, when you are being attacked with rockets raining down on your people, and your soldiers are under attack, you have to respond.

And I think that what I learned when I negotiated the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in 2012 is that Hamas provokes Israel. They often pretend to have people in civilian garb acting as though they are civilians who are Hamas fighters. And it’s a very difficult undertaking for Israel to target those who are targeting them.

And I think Israel has had to defend itself. It has a right to defend itself. It did not go seeking this. This was, you know, promoted by Hamas. And I support Israel’s right of self-defense.”

Source: “State of the Union,” 10 April 2016

#ImWithHer

2 thoughts on “Words of the Week

  1. JNN says:

    Thanks for sharing this, Erica. It’s perhaps worth pointing out however, that what Tapper recounted to Clinton isn’t verbatim. It’s an interpretation of the word “disproportionate.” Sanders never said “an unnecessary loss of innocent life.”

    I may not agree with Sen. Sanders in that assessment, but I would agree that it’s time to consider a change of approach to ensure that at no time we can be misjudged to be “disproportionate” – however right we are, and Israel is, in fighting back.

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