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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., refused to say that any attacks on Israel during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack could be justified despite repeated questioning from a far-left journalist on Tuesday.
The exchange came after Drop Site reporter Jeremy Scahill asked Khanna during a livestream event about the congressman’s recent claims that he was detained by armed Israeli settlers while visiting the West Bank last week.
Though Khanna expressed support for ending the Israeli “occupation” of Gaza and accusing Israel of “apartheid” and “genocide,”, Scahill took issue with Khanna’s reluctance to enact a total arms embargo on Israel.
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“What you’re saying is that the accountability then doesn’t lie on American policy toward Israel,” Scahill told Khanna. “It’s sort of something abstract. ‘Well, Israeli civilians could die.’ Israeli civilians are dying in these attacks because of the apartheid.”
Scahill then appeared to argue that the terrorist attacks against Israel could be justified as efforts to “kill Israeli soldiers.”
“You know, do Palestinians have a right to kill Israeli soldiers, Congressman? On October 7, when they attacked the military bases in the Gaza envelope, did the Al-Qassam Brigades and Saraya al-Quds have a right to kill Israeli soldiers? Yes or no?” Scahill asked.
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“I mean, I think October 7’s attack was a terrorist attack, so I don’t justify it,” Khanna answered.
Scahill insisted that the “first targets” of the Oct. 7 attacks were “multiple military bases” and asked if there was any justification in attacking them.
“I am not for violence in any way. I mean, I am for making sure that we end the occupation,” Khanna began.
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“Do they have a right to do it, Congressman? Do they have a right to attack Israeli soldiers?” Scahill pressed.
“No, I’m not going to say that Hamas had a right to attack Israeli soldiers or kill Israelis. I don’t think that advances peace or advances Palestinian statehood,” Khanna said.
Khanna defended Israel’s right to fight back against Hamas for the attack, though he still accused Israel of being guilty of genocide. However, he continued to face pushback from Scahill for refusing to answer whether Palestinians could be justified in killing Israeli soldiers.
“It’s a double standard. You’re saying there are ways that Israel should be able to kill Palestinians, but there is never a condition under which Palestinians can attack armed uniformed soldiers of a force that is still considered an occupying force under international law,” Scahill said.
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Khanna is one of several Democratic politicians who have criticized Israel since its war against Hamas. Opposition to Israel has since become a top political issue among Democrats ahead of the midterm elections.
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