Former US President Bill Clinton gave a defense of Israel's response to the October 7 massacre during a stump speech for Vice President Kamala Harris in Michigan on Wednesday.
“The hardest issue here in Michigan is the Middle East,” Clinton told the crowd at the event in Muskegon Heights. “I understand why young Palestinians and Arab Americans here in Michigan think too many people have died. I get that.”
Clinton noted that “The people there were the most pro-friendship with Palestine, the most pro-two state solution of any of the Israeli community, were the ones right next to Gaza, and Hamas butchered them."
“How many people do you have to kill to punish Hamas for butchering the most pro-peace Israelis? You have to forgive me, but I’m not keeping score that way,” he said, adding, “Hamas makes sure that they’re shielded by civilians, they’ll force you to kill civilians, if you want to defend yourself.”
He asked the crowd, “What would you do if it was your family? And you hadn’t done anything but support the homeland for the Palestinians and, one night, they come for you and slaughter the people in your village.”
Clinton's remarks were condemned by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), an organization whose executive director and co-founder celebrated the October 7 massacre.
CAIR Government Affairs Director Robert S. McCaw said, “Bill Clinton’s callous and dishonest attempt to justify the Israeli government’s attacks on civilians in Gaza was as insulting as it was Islamophobic. It is completely unacceptable to dismissively reference Islam and falsely claim that every Palestinian man, woman and child killed by Israel was a human shield. Even President Biden admitted months ago that the Israeli government has engaged in indiscriminate bombing in Gaza. Prominent leaders like Bill Clinton should be upholding Palestinian human rights, not rationalizing war crimes against Palestinian civilians.”
Clinton's defense of Israel's response to the October 7 massacre stands in contrast to Kamala Harris' frequent criticisms of Israel and calls for an end to the war.
Earlier this month, during a campaign stop at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Harris appeared to agree with an anti-Israel heckler who accused Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza.
During the incident pro-Hamas UWM student began yelling out at Harris while she was speaking, video of the exchange showed.
“I am so invested in you all, in every way,” Harris can be heard saying as the interruption began.
“And in genocide right?” the heckler said, adding, “Billions of dollars in genocide. Billions of dollars in genocide.”
“I’m speaking right now,” Harris said before adding, “I know what you’re speaking of. I want the ceasefire. I want the war to end. And I respect your right to speak but I am speaking right now.”
“But what about the genocide? What about the genocide though?” yelled the protester, who was wearing a keffiyeh.
He was then escorted out of the hall while yelling, “19,000 children are dead, and you won’t call it a genocide.”
Harris then appeared to endorse his view, telling the crowd the issue “was real.”
“Listen, what he’s talking about, it’s real. That’s not the subject that I came to discuss today, but it’s real and I respect his voice,” Harris said after the heckler left.
Last week, at a CNN town hall in a suburb of Philadelphia, Harris refused to answer a question from CNN's Anderson Cooper about whether she would be more pro-Israel than former President Donald Trump.
Instead of answering the question, Harris spoke of the potential dangers of another Trump presidency and accused the former president of admiring dictators such as Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Cooper also asked Harris what she would say to those undecided voters who may not vote or vote for third-party candidates due to the Biden Administration's perceived support for Israel.
“Listen, I am not going to deny the strong feelings that people have. I don’t know anyone who has seen the images who would not have strong feelings about what has happened, much less those who have relatives who have died and been killed,” Harris said.