Blinken on Israel-Hamas War: If We Lose ‘Reverence for Human Life, We Risk Becoming Indistinguishable from Those We Confront’

TRANSCRIPT:

BLINKEN: "Now, of course, what happened after October 7th could have ended immediately if Hamas had stopped hiding behind civilians, released the hostages, and put down its weapons. But Israel is not Hamas. Israel is a democracy, Hamas a terrorist organization. And democracies place the highest value on human life — every human life. As has been said, whoever saves a life saves the entire world. That’s our strength. It’s what distinguishes us from terrorists like Hamas. If we lose that reverence for human life, we risk becoming indistinguishable from those we confront."