Advertisement

Updated May 18th, 2021 at 10:42 IST

McConnell spurns calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire

McConnell spurns calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire

| Image:self
Advertisement

STORY: US Senate McConnell Mideast - McConnell spurns calls for Israel-Hamas cease-fire

LENGTH: 03:01

Advertisement

FIRST RUN: 2119

RESTRICTIONS:

Advertisement

TYPE: English/Natsound

SOURCE: SENATE TV

Advertisement

STORY NUMBER: 4326345

DATELINE: 17 May 2021 - Washington

Advertisement

SHOTLIST:

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

Advertisement

SENATE TV

Washington, DC - 17 May 2021

Advertisement

1. Wide shot of Senate floor as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell starts speaking

2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader:

Advertisement

"Yesterday was the deadliest day yet in the continued fighting between the terrorists forces attacking Israel and Israel's measured, precise and defensive response."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

Advertisement

3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader:

"And because Hamas, in stark violation of the laws of war, intentionally, intentionally co-located its terrorist facilities in civilian buildings and neighborhoods, Israeli strikes have regrettably led to civilian casualties in Gaza. No one is glad to see the fighting, but we're already seeing some push, push the false narrative that this conflict is a tragic dispute between two legitimate combatants where both sides share blame that is roughly equal. What nonsense."

Advertisement

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader:

Advertisement

"This yields calls for blanket cease fires and people wagging their fingers at both sides. This camp apparently includes some of our own Senate colleagues. To say that both sides, both sides need to de-escalate downplays the responsibility the terrorists have for initiating the conflict in the first place and suggests Israelis are not entitled to defend themselves against ongoing rocket barrages. Now, look, I completely reject this obscene moral equivalence."

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

Advertisement

5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader:

"Look, this is not a conflict between Israel and the Palestinian people. Hamas has sought to hijack recent tensions to advance its own narrow, violent objectives. In that sense, it's a conflict between Israel and a terrorist rump state in Gaza that uses its civilian population as human shields and exploits their suffering for political gain. These terrorists set up shop in apartment buildings and under press offices. They direct rocket attacks from the cover of schools and markets."

Advertisement

++BLACK BETWEEN SOUNDBITES++

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Sen. Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader:

Advertisement

"The United States needs to stand foursquare behind our ally. And President Biden must remain strong against the growing voices within his own party. That create false equivalence between terrorist aggressors and a responsible state defending itself."

++ENDS ON A SOUNDBITE++

Advertisement

STORYLINE:

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected growing calls from Democrats and others for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers as fighting entered a second week, with more than 200 people dead.

Advertisement

In remarks on the Senate floor Monday, McConnell dismissed what he called the "false narrative that this conflict is a tragic dispute between two legitimate combatants where both sides share blame that is roughly equal."

"I completely reject this obscene moral equivalence." McConnell said, insisting that stance "downplays the responsibility terrorists have for initiating the conflict in the first place."

Advertisement

The Senate Republican leader  called Hamas "a terrorist rump state in Gaza that uses its civilian population as human shields and exploits their suffering for political gain."

McConnell said talks by the international community with the Palestinian Authority would do little good, but said, "to really make a difference, they can impose real costs on those who fund the terror weapons of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. We know where the return address is. It's over in Tehran."

Advertisement

And in a shot at Democrats, McConnell said, "The United States needs to stand foursquare behind our ally, and President Biden must remain strong against the growing voices within his own party that create false equivalence between terrorist aggressors and a responsible state defending itself."

As missile and rocket exchanges between Israel and Hamas surged to their worst levels since 2014 and the international outcry grew, the Biden has declined so far to criticize Israel's part in the fighting, send a top-level envoy to the region or press Israel publicly to wind down its latest military operation in the thickly populated Gaza Strip, as some past U.S. administrations have done.

Advertisement

The U.S. administration's publicly tempered response comes despite calls from Security Council partners, a growing number of Democrats and others for President Joe Biden' and other international leaders to wade more deeply into diplomacy to end the worst Israel-Palestinian violence in years and revive long-collapsed mediation for genuine peace there.

===========================================================

Advertisement

Clients are reminded:

(i) to check the terms of their licence agreements for use of content outside news programming and that further advice and assistance can be obtained from the AP Archive on: Tel +44 (0) 20 7482 7482 Email: info@aparchive.com

Advertisement

(ii) they should check with the applicable collecting society in their Territory regarding the clearance of any sound recording or performance included within the AP Television News service

(iii) they have editorial responsibility for the use of all and any content included within the AP Television News service and for libel, privacy, compliance and third party rights applicable to their Territory.

Advertisement

Published May 18th, 2021 at 10:42 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Pooja Vastrakar
3 minutes ago
Congress Press Conference
18 minutes ago
Crew posters
24 minutes ago
Big Communication Gap Within the Congress: Sanjay Nirupam Targets Party Leadership | EXCLUSIVE
25 minutes ago
VST Tillers Tractors
25 minutes ago
High-net-worth women show a nuanced approach to wealth with interest in alternative investments and cautious risk tolerance.
26 minutes ago
Shreyas Iyer
31 minutes ago
France has approached 46 countries for the possible provision of over 2,000 police officers and several military personnel.
44 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo