CNN Anchor Asks Top Republican If Netanyahu Is Needlessly Prolonging Gaza War to Stay in Power: The ‘Hostages Stay Longer’

BASH With us now ░░░░░░░░ Republican senator John Thune ░░░░░░░░ South Dakota senator Senator ░░░░░░░░ you so much for ░░░░░░░░ here Really great to ░░░░░░░░ you and to have ░░░░░░░░ here First generally speaking ░░░░░░░░ reaction to Prime Minister ░░░░░░░░ s remarks THUNE Strong ░░░░░░░░ And as it s ░░░░░░░░ the case with the ░░░░░░░░ minister very well articulated ░░░░░░░░ I thought he hit ░░░░░░░░ the right points Dana ░░░░░░░░ think the one thing ░░░░░░░░ he needs to do ░░░░░░░░ people in this country ░░░░░░░░ for that matter people ░░░░░░░░ around the world is ░░░░░░░░ the dots back to ░░░░░░░░ and the fact that ░░░░░░░░ is the only thing ░░░░░░░░ between Iran and the ░░░░░░░░ States which they consider ░░░░░░░░ be the great Satan ░░░░░░░░ so Iran is behind ░░░░░░░░ the malign activities in ░░░░░░░░ region whether it s ░░░░░░░░ in the north or ░░░░░░░░ Houthis in Yemen or ░░░░░░░░ right there in the ░░░░░░░░ Strip But I thought ░░░░░░░░ was really effective in ░░░░░░░░ in particular and also ░░░░░░░░ a vision of what ░░░░░░░░ could look like in ░░░░░░░░ future if you had ░░░░░░░░ integrated Middle East and ░░░░░░░░ de radicalized demilitarized Gaza ░░░░░░░░ that of course means ░░░░░░░░ you ve got to ░░░░░░░░ rid and eliminate Hamas ░░░░░░░░ I want to get ░░░░░░░░ to what you were ░░░░░░░░ talking about back to ░░░░░░░░ prime minister s speech ░░░░░░░░ a second I m ░░░░░░░░ sure if you were ░░░░░░░░ to hear our reporter ░░░░░░░░ Marquez who was talking ░░░░░░░░ the protesters outside Specifically ░░░░░░░░ was reporting on and ░░░░░░░░ the American flag being ░░░░░░░░ the Palestinian flag being ░░░░░░░░ We even saw some ░░░░░░░░ triangles we re showing ░░░░░░░░ now I don t ░░░░░░░░ if you can see ░░░░░░░░ but we even saw ░░░░░░░░ red triangles on some ░░░░░░░░ the statues What s ░░░░░░░░ reaction to that THUNE ░░░░░░░░ I think it s ░░░░░░░░ s disgraceful it s ░░░░░░░░ and the kind of ░░░░░░░░ that we shouldn t ░░░░░░░░ in this country But ░░░░░░░░ as the prime minister ░░░░░░░░ out today a lot ░░░░░░░░ these activities that are ░░░░░░░░ here in the United ░░░░░░░░ Iran is behind them ░░░░░░░░ are trying to create ░░░░░░░░ and instability and chaos ░░░░░░░░ fueling all these protests ░░░░░░░░ the violence particularly the ░░░░░░░░ Semitic violence in this ░░░░░░░░ That s Iranian activity ░░░░░░░░ that s why they ░░░░░░░░ to be stopped And ░░░░░░░░ s why it s ░░░░░░░░ important that we continue ░░░░░░░░ support Israel including as ░░░░░░░░ prime minister said give ░░░░░░░░ the tools faster and ░░░░░░░░ will finish the job ░░░░░░░░ ve got to get ░░░░░░░░ thing over with and ░░░░░░░░ a clear statement to ░░░░░░░░ world that this kind ░░░░░░░░ behavior and the kind ░░░░░░░░ thing that we re ░░░░░░░░ right here in the ░░░░░░░░ S abd right here ░░░░░░░░ this city today just ░░░░░░░░ t be tolerated BASH ░░░░░░░░ one of Prime Minister ░░░░░░░░ s predecessors Ehud Barak ░░░░░░░░ we understand and we ░░░░░░░░ tell our viewers who ░░░░░░░░ not know is not ░░░░░░░░ the same party as ░░░░░░░░ Minister Netanyahu but nonetheless ░░░░░░░░ he s somebody who ░░░░░░░░ been intimately involved in ░░░░░░░░ to get to peace ░░░░░░░░ almost got there when ░░░░░░░░ Clinton had him and ░░░░░░░░ Arafat in 2000 here ░░░░░░░░ the United States He ░░░░░░░░ very very strongly and ░░░░░░░░ clearly to Wolf that ░░░░░░░░ does not believe that ░░░░░░░░ Minister Netanyahu actually wants ░░░░░░░░ end the war because ░░░░░░░░ would mean the end ░░░░░░░░ his own political viability ░░░░░░░░ home and that might ░░░░░░░░ mean the hostages stay ░░░░░░░░ Are you concerned about ░░░░░░░░ mean you re a ░░░░░░░░ You understand what s ░░░░░░░░ on in Israel Are ░░░░░░░░ concerned about the notion ░░░░░░░░ Bibi Netanyahu isn t ░░░░░░░░ as hard as he ░░░░░░░░ to get this deal ░░░░░░░░ of his own concerns ░░░░░░░░ his own future THUNE ░░░░░░░░ don t think that ░░░░░░░░ ve met with him ░░░░░░░░ Israel I ve met ░░░░░░░░ Ehud Barak in Israel ░░░░░░░░ as well And obviously ░░░░░░░░ have political differences there ░░░░░░░░ those aside my sense ░░░░░░░░ out of this was ░░░░░░░░ he is desperate to ░░░░░░░░ this because this is ░░░░░░░░ the lives of Israeli ░░░░░░░░ at risk every single ░░░░░░░░ And he talked about ░░░░░░░░ the north where Hezbollah ░░░░░░░░ threatening Israeli homes and ░░░░░░░░ there and they re ░░░░░░░░ surrounded on every side ░░░░░░░░ wants to end this ░░░░░░░░ happens politically in Israel ░░░░░░░░ this I don t ░░░░░░░░ anybody can really speculate ░░░░░░░░ that at the moment ░░░░░░░░ the one thing that ░░░░░░░░ clear right now and ░░░░░░░░ is there are still ░░░░░░░░ lot of hostages there ░░░░░░░░ American hostages that we ░░░░░░░░ to get for freed ░░░░░░░░ released and Hamas could ░░░░░░░░ that tomorrow This could ░░░░░░░░ tomorrow But this ends ░░░░░░░░ the Hamas as a ░░░░░░░░ threat on Israel s ░░░░░░░░ is eliminated and then ░░░░░░░░ is a much brighter ░░░░░░░░ prosperous stable secure future ░░░░░░░░ for the people of ░░░░░░░░ and for that entire ░░░░░░░░ But the terrorists the ░░░░░░░░ has to end and ░░░░░░░░ is behind it and ░░░░░░░░ did a really good ░░░░░░░░ of connecting those dots ░░░░░░░░ BASH Senator John Thune ░░░░░░░░ South Dakota Thank you ░░░░░░░░ much for being here ░░░░░░░░ THUNE Thanks Dana good ░░░░░░░░ be with you.”