CNN’s Amanpour to Blinken: ‘Are You Prepared to Say that War Crimes Have Been Committed by Israel?’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT Amanpour I ░░░░░░░░ not going to ask ░░░░░░░░ the genocide question because ░░░░░░░░ ve heard you answer ░░░░░░░░ You don t believe ░░░░░░░░ that s what Israel ░░░░░░░░ doing Although the leading ░░░░░░░░ Israeli scholar on genocide ░░░░░░░░ Holocaust studies has told ░░░░░░░░ he believes after a ░░░░░░░░ of studying this that ░░░░░░░░ does fit that description ░░░░░░░░ I m going to ░░░░░░░░ you about your own ░░░░░░░░ here in the State ░░░░░░░░ You know more than ░░░░░░░░ dozen have resigned and ░░░░░░░░ re very very deeply ░░░░░░░░ that the actual American ░░░░░░░░ governing the use of ░░░░░░░░ aid have not been ░░░░░░░░ And furthermore I m ░░░░░░░░ to ask you about ░░░░░░░░ Israelis themselves who talk ░░░░░░░░ war crimes are moshe ░░░░░░░░ the former defense secretary ░░░░░░░░ Netanyahu likud not a ░░░░░░░░ heart liberal ethnic cleansing ░░░░░░░░ war crimes are taking ░░░░░░░░ And he s doubled ░░░░░░░░ on that Are you ░░░░░░░░ to say that war ░░░░░░░░ have been committed by ░░░░░░░░ Blinken Can t speak ░░░░░░░░ individual instances I can ░░░░░░░░ obviously we ve had ░░░░░░░░ more than concerns about ░░░░░░░░ way Israel has conducted ░░░░░░░░ Understanding first of all ░░░░░░░░ this is a unique ░░░░░░░░ one we haven t ░░░░░░░░ seen before one where ░░░░░░░░ have a population that ░░░░░░░░ trapped inside of Gaza ░░░░░░░░ virtually every other situation ░░░░░░░░ the world people are ░░░░░░░░ to get out of ░░░░░░░░ s way They become ░░░░░░░░ in a neighboring country ░░░░░░░░ s not a good ░░░░░░░░ but it s better ░░░░░░░░ being caught in the ░░░░░░░░ of this kind of ░░░░░░░░ Second uniquely you have ░░░░░░░░ enemy that intentionally embeds ░░░░░░░░ within the civilian population ░░░░░░░░ and under apartments in ░░░░░░░░ under schools mosques hospitals ░░░░░░░░ does not in any ░░░░░░░░ absolve Israel of the ░░░░░░░░ the obligation to conduct ░░░░░░░░ according to international law ░░░░░░░░ it makes it incredibly ░░░░░░░░ makes it much more ░░░░░░░░ So we look at ░░░░░░░░ very very carefully Israel ░░░░░░░░ at this very very ░░░░░░░░ The second thing I ░░░░░░░░ to say is this ░░░░░░░░ more than respect I ░░░░░░░░ value the fact that ░░░░░░░░ have people in this ░░░░░░░░ and in our system ░░░░░░░░ have different views and ░░░░░░░░ up speak out We ░░░░░░░░ something called a dissent ░░░░░░░░ in the State Department ░░░░░░░░ people object to a ░░░░░░░░ we re pursuing They ░░░░░░░░ send me a note ░░░░░░░░ memo a detailed brief ░░░░░░░░ and I see it ░░░░░░░░ read it I respond ░░░░░░░░ it And I ve ░░░░░░░░ I don t know ░░░░░░░░ couple of dozen when ░░░░░░░░ comes to Gaza as ░░░░░░░░ as other issues That ░░░░░░░░ a cherished tradition in ░░░░░░░░ department And I wanted ░░░░░░░░ make sure that people ░░░░░░░░