Internationally were creating the evidence what is possible so that others can pick it up and run with it oh, i love that. Ill be sure to tune in next saturday at 9 00 p. M. Eastern for that champions for change, onehour special and thank you so much for joining me today. Amphoteric a Whitfield Smerconish starts right now tension between the us and israel over the war with hamas. Im Michael Smerconish in philadelphia on friday, the Biden Administration said that it is reasonable to assess that us weapons have been used by Israeli Forces in gaza in ways that are inconsistent with International Humanitarian law. But they stop short of officially saying that israel violated that law. The report drafted by the State Department said, investigations are ongoing, but that the us does not have complete information. This followed israels Security Cabinet Approval of an expansion of the area of operation of the shelling in rafah after President Joe Biden threatened to withhold us weapons if israel were to count carry out an allout offensive in that city, the increased Military Operation in rafah has put ceasefire for Hostage Talks on pause two us officials told cnn all of this follows a Turning Point in us Israel Relations this week, when President Biden previously unwavering public support began to waver the highly visible propalestinian Campus Protests have been threatening to splinter bidens fragile Democratic Coalition in a sitdown interview with cnns Erin Burnett Biden threatened to halt some weapons shipments. The first significant conditioning of us military aid to israel since the start of the war. But israels Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu says that to avenge hamas is seven terror attacks, quote, if we need to stand alone, we will stand alone. I have said that if necessary, we will fight with our fingernails joining me now to discuss as thomas l. Friedman, he is a threetime Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the new york times, where his latest paste just out is titled bidens real mistake in pausing military aid to israel. And his many bestsellers include the National Book award winner from beirut to jerusalem, which has a new audio forward, tom, always great when youre here, what will be the impact of this state Department Report that said israel most likely fail to protect civilians in gaza, but did not find specific instances. Gosh michael, i dont think its going to have much impact whatsoever. I think what matters is whats happening on the ground right now particularly in and around rafah and around the limited embargo that President Biden has imposed on israel to drive home. The point that if its going to go into rafah, it has to do so in a way that simply does not cause massive an casualties as its entrance into gaza city and khan younis have so in your most recent posting for the times on that subject, heres part of what you wrote. You said netanyahus policies have not will not produce a sustainable victory in gaza as a cannot secure israel against his greatest existential threat. Iran and our endangering world jewry and undermining america eric has broader middle east strategic needs and goals. So what should israel be doing then about hamas still in rafah so it really, we have to start at 30,000 feet. Michael and that is my belief that if israel that it had to go into gaza, forestry the taoiseach and moral reasons to dismantle hamas. The only way it could do it is if it had three things, it needed time it needed resources, and it needed legitimacy because given the fact that hamas had buried itself, and its tunnels under a civilian population, there were always going to be heavy civilian casualties no matter what now what that meant is from the very beginning israel had to be seen as at war with hamas and not with the Palestinian People. That was central and for that to happen, it needed to have a palestinian partner. It needed failed to say to the world, to itself, to gazans, we want to dismantle hamas, but we want to replace them with a with the Palestinian Authority in the west bank, which is embraced the oslo peace process. Instead, what netanyahu did was say, were going to going to war against hamas. And were going to stay at war with the pa. So we have the palestinian authorities, so we have no palestinian partner message to the world. Were not at war just with hamas, were at war with the Palestinian People. And because of that, israel has not had the legitimacy. It needed for this kind of war. President bidens response, and i made reference to it in your introduction was to have a sit down with erin burnett and to threaten the pause of additional weapons in this most recent column of yours, you question that approach. It seemed like you think there needs to be a more broad Policy Statement . Offered by the white house. What would your counsel be how should President Biden be using his leverage with netanyahu i would have loved to see him actually give a full beach basically saying heres why were doing this. Weapons pause. But its in a much broader context. You, israel are fighting a war with diminishing, actually with virtually no anymore legitimacy, because its award that is perceived as being a war against the Palestinian People. You cant be at War With Hamas In Gaza and then be pursuing and reinforcing an occupation in the west bank. That, that just doesnt work. Youve got to have a palestinian partner, a palestinian partner for you as key. First of all, to be able to say to the world, we are going to remove hamas, but were going to replace it with a legitimate decent Palestinian Government its the key to having a regional leinz that you need against iran because israels moderate air partners are not going to sign on to protect israel if its perceived as trying to destroy the Palestinian People and not just hamas, if israel had a partner with the pa that would make it much easier for uae, jordan, egypt, saudi arabia, to partner with israel against iran its palestinian partners stupid. Its the keystone to everything. If israel does not have that michael, it has no Exit Strategy for gaza. It has no way of building a Regional Alliance against iran. It has no plan for the morning after it will have no International Legitimacy lets see the subject of Future Governance has been a consistent concern of Thomas Friedman since ten, seven. Heres what most recently you wrote on it ther, about 7 million israeli jews would be permanently controlling about 5 million Palestinian Arabs and to occupied territories, which would be a moral, economic, and Military Open for stretch that would delight iran because it would hasten israels descent into being a global pariah. My question is it too late for a deal with the saudis that which had been in the works up until ten, seven wasnt important question michael and the saudi deal has two components. It has an american saudi component that revolves around a mutual security treaty, a civilian nuclear program, and weapons transfers. But to get that us saudi component passed by the us congress to facilitate that saudi arabia actually offered to normalize hi is relations with israel provided israel would some kind of horizon or pathway to a twostate solution for palestinians. Netanyahus government is refusing to do that. So the administration, while tying up the saudi deal, is now trying to figure out do they do they take them are limited deal to congress and try to get it through where they promised from saudi arabia that would normalize with israel if and when an Israeli Government came along ready to do that, or does this just scotch the whole deal . I think thats all in discussion right now. Final question. I want to put polling data from American Youth on the screen. It raises the question of what Thomas Friedman thinks about a campus unrest. I dont know if you can see the screen, but take my word for it the issues that College Students are most important, most concerned about coming in last ninth of nine, the conflict in the middle east, your last column said that the protests on campuses are getting something wrong. Whats the takeaway you swift well, michaeli, if youre only condemning israeli violence against palestinians and youre ignoring what hamas did october 7 youre not morally serious. If youre for, for a ceasefire now and not for a return of hostages now, youre not morally serious. It seems to me and if youre not talking about a twostate solution, but youre talking about a Palestinian State from the river to the sea. Youre not morally serious theres only one solution here and that is two states for two Indigenous People between the jordan river and the mediterranean. And if youre not for that, if youre not for ending the violence and for a hostage release, if youre only condemning one side and not the other, youre not morally serious and youre not going to be at all productive and helpful because theres only one way out. Two, states for two people let me read aloud a Social Media Reaction and see if tom wants to respond. Go ahead, catherine put it on the screen. Ill read it aloud. Biden is making so many mistakes. Its disheartening tom friedman, youve written that hes the most proisrael president that weve ever had defend that view well, joe biden was the first president to actually pick up and go to israel after this kind of violent attack from palestinians. He did everything to get it as israel, the, the Military Equipment needed he stood up to defend israel at the united nations. But the problem for Joe Biden Michael is hes actually a very decent, straightforward guy. He is not built to deal with a sinister, cynical character like Benjamin Netanyahu, who is ready to use america, ready to use biden. Two sure. What is his top priority . The political survival of Benjamin Netanyahu which he has put ahead of israels National Interests because israels National Interests is to have a palestinian partner and netanyahu refuses to do that because hes cabinet, that he formed with a bunch of rightwing lunatics who refused to concede sit, or any kind of palestinian partner. And as long as that is the case, Israel Cannot Win in gaza, It Cannot Win in the, It Cannot Win in College Campuses, it will not win tom friedman. Thank you so much for coming back pleasure up. I had depending on who you ask, the netflix roast of tom brady was either way to rhonchi and offensive or totally hilarious i happen to be in the latter category and i think people need to get their senses of humor back, but i want to know what you think. Go to my website. Its more conscious. Com. Heres todays Poll Question inspired by a recent interview that Jerry Seinfeld gave to the new Yorker Seinfeld blames extreme left pc crap and people worrying about offending for the lack of comedy on tv. 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