On Tuesday’s “CNN Newsroom,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) said that he doesn’t know if Israel wants a ceasefire.
Host Wolf Blitzer asked, “A far-right, high-ranking member of the Israeli Cabinet made another provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa compound in Jerusalem, the mosque built on the Temple Mount. The visit comes on the day that Jews commemorate the destruction of the temple Tisha Be’Av, … it’s a fast day for a lot of Jews. Hamas condemned the visit, as did families of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza. Do you believe Israel wants a ceasefire?”
Meeks responded, “Well, look, I’m not — I don’t know. I know that the administration has said publicly, there [are] conversations that I’ve had in classified sessions, and which I’m not going to repeat here. But the administration has said publicly, that, if there’s not an agreement soon, that they will talk on both sides as to who is preventing the ceasefire from happening. So, that will happen with Egypt and Qatar. They will all talk together about why it’s not going forward. I met with the families of the hostages when they were in Washington, D.C. I, like them, desperately want those loved ones home and a ceasefire. And so, I would hope that all parties get to the negotiating table. Let’s get this deal done. Let’s try to de-escalate what’s taking place and then hopefully move toward a two-state solution so that there can be peace in the area. Wolf, I have a problem with the number of innocents that are dying, and it seems to me, if we don’t get to a ceasefire, and I want to get rid of Hamas. I don’t want Hamas to be governing. But what’s happening is, if we continue the way we’re going, Hamas will rejuvenate itself by getting new members. As you kill some, you’ll get new that will automatically join. That’s not the way to peace in the Middle East.”
Blitzer then asked, “The latest information we’re getting, Congressman, is that sources are telling us that Hamas will return on Thursday to these ceasefire and hostage release negotiations…what’s the latest you’re hearing about this?”
Meeks responded, “I am hearing that now, Hamas had been holding out saying that they had agreed to the principles before, and they didn’t want to move. But that’s a good sign for me, because I heard Israel said that they will be there also. I hope no one tries to push any new conditions to this, and let’s stick with the basic principles of [what] the Biden ceasefire agreement is so that we can move in a rapidly — in a rapid form.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
