By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO — A nuanced televised debate Monday evening, Feb. 12, on the Israel-Gaza War found Democratic Congresswoman Barbara Lee supportive of an immediate ceasefire, while three other candidates – Republican Steve Garvey and Democrats Adam Schiff and Katie Porter — expressed wariness about Hamas remaining in power in Gaza.
After noting that she had condemned the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas that resulted in an estimate of 1,200 Israelis murdered and 240 kidnaped, Lee stressed that she has called for a permanent ceasefire. “I know that only through a diplomatic and political settlement and discussions and resolve will Israel be safe,” she said.
“Right now, killing 25,000 to 30,000 civilians is counterproductive to Israel’s security,” Lee said, accepting the casualty figures issued by the Hamas-run health agency in Gaza, which does not distinguish between civilians and armed Hamas terrorists.
“I also know the longer this war takes place, the broader it is spreading,” she said. “Any peace will only work if there is a two-state solution, which Netanyahu has said … he would not agree to … and that is really a very important part of security and peace in the region for Israelis and Palestinians.”
Porter, who answered the question next, said “the people of Gaza deserve better leadership than they got under Hamas which diverted resources for its terrorist activity. … So, I think the people of Gaza absolutely need different leadership. I think any peace should come with the release of the hostages as well as a commitment by the United States to help rebuild Gaza and position it to flourish in the future. … I think we should be pushing for a bilateral ceasefire and I think the way to get there, to have a secure Israel and to have the people of Gaza flourish, is to have different leadership for the people of Gaza.”
Next came Garvey, who declared: “I stand for Israel yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I believe the devastation of October 7 was intolerable. For anyone to think they can tell Israel that they can’t determine their destiny and sovereignty don’t understand the people of Israel. … To think there could be a two-state solution is naïve because one of those states will always try to annihilate Israel.”
Adam Schiff, the only Jewish community member among the four candidates, said that Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 “to provoke exactly the reaction that it got. It could care less about civilians in Gaza. If it had any care for its own people, it wouldn’t have spent all those millions and hundred of millions of dollars building tunnels; it would have provided for the people of Gaza.. … Israel has the right to defend itself. Hamas is threatening to attack them over and over again. No nation could endure that. … The President is right to try to bring about a humanitarian pause so we can get aid in, hostages out, but at the end of the day there isn’t going to be the two-state solution that I would like to see if a terrorist organization like Hamas is continuing to govern in Gaza.”
So, to summarize, Lee wants an immediate, permanent ceasefire which would leave Hamas in power, and negotiations toward a two-state solution. Porter and Schiff also favor a two-state solution but not while Hamas is in power. Garvey says a two-state solution is naïve, because a Palestinian state would remain in favor of Israel’s destruction.
The candidates were asked if they favored a direct attack on Iran by the United States in retaliation for Iran’s proxies having attacked American troops.
None of the candidates favored such an attack on Iran.
They also were asked whether a cap should be placed on the amount of aid that should go to Ukraine and Israel.
None of the candidates favored putting an arbitrary ceiling on the amount of money the United States should spend in support of its allies. However, they agreed there should be accountability.
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via sdheritage@cox.net
Of course the ouster of Hamas has to come first.
If a ceasefire comes first, there will be no ouster,
and no cessation of the firing upon Israel from Aza.