Sen. Van Hollen: I Believe It Was a Mistake for Dems to Support Netanyahu Addressing Congress

VAN HOLLEN Yes I ░░░░░░░░ been critical of the ░░░░░░░░ of the war in ░░░░░░░░ but always affirmed Israel ░░░░░░░░ right to self defense ░░░░░░░░ fact duty to self ░░░░░░░░ So look I the ░░░░░░░░ that I got from ░░░░░░░░ trip to Israel nine ░░░░░░░░ ago where I met ░░░░░░░░ hostage families was don ░░░░░░░░ be used as a ░░░░░░░░ prop by Bibi Netanyahu ░░░░░░░░ an address to Congress ░░░░░░░░ will help boost his ░░░░░░░░ low popularity ratings in ░░░░░░░░ at a time when ░░░░░░░░ and his extremist colleagues ░░░░░░░░ and Ben Gvir are ░░░░░░░░ prioritizing the return of ░░░░░░░░ hostages They re not ░░░░░░░░ a cease fire and ░░░░░░░░ of the hostages So ░░░░░░░░ encouraged me many of ░░░░░░░░ to express my views ░░░░░░░░ support of the people ░░░░░░░░ Israel by not participating ░░░░░░░░ what they saw was ░░░░░░░░ political ploy by Prime ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu So that s ░░░░░░░░ I did COSTA You ░░░░░░░░ they told you to ░░░░░░░░ be used as a ░░░░░░░░ Do you believe Congress ░░░░░░░░ used as a prop ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu VAN HOLLEN I ░░░░░░░░ think I think Prime ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu accomplished his goal ░░░░░░░░ using Congress as a ░░░░░░░░ to boost his support ░░░░░░░░ Israel especially among his ░░░░░░░░ wing extremists If you ░░░░░░░░ the people who gave ░░░░░░░░ thumbs up to his ░░░░░░░░ they were Ben Gvir ░░░░░░░░ Smotrich These are very ░░░░░░░░ wing extremists COSTA Was ░░░░░░░░ a mistake for Democrats ░░░░░░░░ support him coming to ░░░░░░░░ VAN HOLLEN I believe ░░░░░░░░ was I ve expressed ░░░░░░░░ view But the reality ░░░░░░░░ obviously he came So ░░░░░░░░ those of us who ░░░░░░░░ it was a mistake ░░░░░░░░ have him here we ░░░░░░░░ our views by by ░░░░░░░░ participating And again that ░░░░░░░░ the message I got ░░░░░░░░ only from hostage families ░░░░░░░░ I also met Robert ░░░░░░░░ a lot of Israeli ░░░░░░░░ whose loved ones were ░░░░░░░░ of the October 7th ░░░░░░░░ attacks who told me ░░░░░░░░ neither Prime Minister Netanyahu ░░░░░░░░ any member of his ░░░░░░░░ had come to see ░░░░░░░░ had reached out to ░░░░░░░░ And their message to ░░░░░░░░ as I said on ░░░░░░░░ Senate floor in a ░░░░░░░░ last week was before ░░░░░░░░ comes to the United ░░░░░░░░ Congress have him come ░░░░░░░░ us in the eye ░░░░░░░░ explain his responsibility in ░░░░░░░░ intelligence failure that made ░░░░░░░░ Hamas attack even worse.”