On Saturday’s broadcast of CNN’s “First of All,” Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) stated that her vote against the Israel aid package was a message to put “a check on Netanyahu’s ability to wage this horrible war and to escalate tensions with Iran.”
Balint said that voting against the Israel aid package was “really about sending a message that we understand that if we continue to send offensive weapons to this extremist government, to Netanyahu, it’s essentially sending a green light for an invasion of Rafah, and to continue this devastating war in Gaza. And I believe a no vote is indicative of where most Americans are right now. They want a safe and secure Israel. They want us to make sure that we are also putting a check on Netanyahu’s ability to wage this horrible war and to escalate tensions with Iran. So, I know it will pass, but I do believe this is a moment for those of us who do support Israel, who do believe we need to have a sovereign Jewish state to also stand up and say, we have a role to play, as the United States of America, in how those weapons, whether they’re offensive or defensive weapons, are used.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
