Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, standing on Israeli soil, said calls for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas don’t “make any sense.”
“We can’t ask Israel to stand down if they believe there is still a legitimate violent threat against them and their people,” Mr. Christie told reporters over the weekend. “I think there’s no question that there is, and so they must continue to fight until they have degraded that capability to a point where they can save their people, come back and live here safely and securely. Until that comes, I don’t think calls for a cease-fire make any sense.”
The former New Jersey governor announced last week that he would visit Israel, making him the first Republican presidential candidate to visit the Jewish state since the surprise attack by Hamas terrorists on Oct. 7.
While he was there he visited Kfar Azza, a kibbutz in southern Israel that was hit during the initial attack. He also met with Israeli government officials, soldiers and families of those kidnapped by Hamas.
“There was a cease-fire. It was Hamas who violated the cease-fire, not Israel,” he said. “If Hamas had not entered this neighborhood on Oct. 7 and caused the carnage they did, there would be peace today, both here and in Gaza, so we must remember who’s really responsible for this.”
Mr. Christie, along with the other GOP candidates, has been a strong supporter of Israel.
“We should make sure that every candidate running for president makes it very clear to every American and every citizen of the world, the United States will stand undivided with the state of Israel and we will defeat terrorists all around the world,” he said at the Florida Republican Party’s Freedom Summit this month.
The U.S. has been unwavering in its support of Israel, while calls for a cease-fire have grown.
National Security spokesman John Kirby this month said the White House is exploring humanitarian pauses.
“When we’re talking about a humanitarian pause, what we’re talking about are temporary, localized pauses in the fighting to meet a certain goal or goals — as I said, get aid in, get people out,” he told reporters, emphasizing that President Biden is not calling for a general cease-fire.
Mr. Christie said in Israel that those in the U.S. calling for a cease-fire don’t represent the vast majority of Americans.
“I don’t think it’s the role of the United States to instruct the state of Israel on how to provide safety and security for its people,” he said. “I think we can give advice, as friends give advice in private. But publicly, my view is that we need to stand with Israel.”
It’s been over a month since the Oct. 7 attack. Israel has said that roughly 1,200 people were killed. Palestinian officials say more than 10,000 have been killed in Gaza.
• This story is based in part on wire reports.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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