In addition to siding with violent Palestinian border assaulters during Tuesday’s CBS Evening News, the network had anchor Jeff Glor sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where he tried to grill the leader on his county’s military response. But despite Glor’s best efforts, Netanyahu schooled him on what it was like to be a country surrounded by enemies that want to see you destroyed.
“Looking back on yesterday, especially Gaza, anything you would have done differently,” Glor wondered, obviously referring to the unverifiable casualty count provided by the Palestinians. Netanyahu said he wished it “wouldn't have happened at all” and explained how Hamas was incentivizing people to go with money. Glor seemed shocked:
GLOR: You said they're paying them?
NETANYAHU: Yes.
GLOR: To try to cross the border?
NETANYAHU: Hamas is paying these people who are coming there.
If he didn’t understand that, it might blow Glor’s mind to learn that Hamas actually pays the families of their suicide terrorists too. “They're pushing civilians, women, children into the line of fire with the view of getting casualties. We try to minimize casualties. They're trying to incur casualties in order to put pressure on Israel, which is horrible,” Netanyahu added, to Glor’s apparent skepticism.
“Did your army go too far,” Glor asked in response to Netanyahu’s explanation of Hamas’ modus operandi. “I don't know if any army would do anything differently if you had to protect your border against people who say, ‘we're going to destroy you and we're going to flood into your country,’” the PM countered. “You try other means. You try all sorts of means. You try non-lethal means, and they don't work, so you're left with bad choices. It's a bad deal.”
Glor ridiculously followed that up with questioning whether Israel could ever sit down and negotiate with the Hamas terrorists who want to kill them. Netanyahu masterfully shot back with his own rhetorical question: “Could you talk to Al Qaeda, would you have discussions with bin Laden?” “As long as they seek our destruction, what am I going to talk about,” he scoffed.
The CBS anchor continued to press on the subject by pointing to the U.S.’s possible upcoming sit down with North Korea as the seemingly impossible actually happening. Netanyahu agreed and brushed Glor up on some Israeli history: “You're right. It's happened to us with our Arab neighbors, but that's when you have leaders who decided that they abandoned the goal of war and destruction and annihilating the other side.”
Between their discussion about the recent riots, not talking with terrorists, and the prospects of a war with Iran, it appeared CBS was trying to paint Netanyahu was a warmonger. And it all came to ahead in a snippy back and forth directed by Glor:
GLOR: Do you see peace in your lifetime?
NETANYAHU: I see it already now. We have peace with Egypt. We have peace with Jordan.
GLOR: Peace with the Palestinians.
NETANYAHU: Yes, I think it's possible. Not with those Palestinians like Hamas who call for our destruction, but I see peace with any one of our neighbors who’s willing to live in peace. I think, yes, I think it's possible.
This interview comes as the liberal media has been doing everything in its power to make the Jewish state look like the villain. While at the same time, downplay and minimize the role Hamas has in creating the violence and bad blood that plagues the situation.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CBS Evening News
May 15, 2018
6:37:20 PM EasternJEFF GLOR: I did sit down with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today. We had a wide-ranging conversation about the clashes yesterday, about Israel's now-open warfare with Iran, and the future of any potential peace process.
[Cuts to video]
Looking back on yesterday, especially Gaza, anything you would have done differently?
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: Well, I wish that it wouldn't have happened at all. And yet, Hamas is pushing people with a view of massive infiltration into Israel, openly declaring their goal is to destroy Israel. They're paying these people, so it's not the peaceful demonstration that you think about.
GLOR: You said they're paying them?
NETANYAHU: Yes.
GLOR: To try to cross the border?
NETANYAHU: Hamas is paying these people who are coming there. They're pushing civilians, women, children into the line of fire with the view of getting casualties. We try to minimize casualties. They're trying to incur casualties in order to put pressure on Israel, which is horrible.
GLOR: You said they want kids to die?
NETANYAHU: Yes.
GLOR: Putting kids in the line of fire?
NETANYAHU: Yes.
GLOR: Did your army go too far?
NETANYAHU: I don't know if any army would do anything differently if you had to protect your border against people who say, “we're going to destroy you and we're going to flood into your country.” You try other means. You try all sorts of means. You try non-lethal means, and they don't work, so you're left with bad choices. It's a bad deal. You know, you try and you go for below the knee and sometimes it doesn't work. Unfortunately, these things are avoidable if Hamas had not pushed them there, then nothing would happen.
GLOR: Will you target Hamas leaders at this point?
NETANYAHU: We don't think that anyone is immune if they dispatch terrorists to kill us.
GLOR: Do you see yourself under any circumstance talking to Hamas?
NETANYAHU: As long as they seek our destruction, what am I going to talk about? I mean, if somebody said, “could you talk to Al Qaeda, would you have discussions with bin Laden? About what?”
GLOR: I ask only because against all odds, the U.S. and North Korea seem to be on the verge of talking, so sometimes meetings that might be unimaginable end up happening.
NETANYAHU: You're right. It's happened to us with our Arab neighbors, but that's when you have leaders who decided that they abandoned the goal of war and destruction and annihilating the other side. And by the way, even what has happened in North Korea, that took place because of a very clear message, I think, that North Korea received that the goal of destruction and aggression would be met with a very strong response.
GLOR: Are you at war with Iran?
NETANYAHU: They're at war with us. We never sought any enmity with Iran. They openly declared that their goal is to annihilate us. Everyday.
GLOR: It’s open war though now. More so than it was before.
NETANYAHU: Because what has happened is that Iran moved part of its army into Syria with new weapons that are specifically aimed at being fired at us. So obviously, what choice do we have? We try to defend ourselves.
GLOR: if they restart the nuclear program and, in fact, pick up the pace, will you launch strikes?
NETANYAHU: I have said that we will not let Iran develop a nuclear weapon, and I stand by that.
GLOR: That means an attack.
NETANYAHU: It means we will not let them do it. We have a variety of means, as you saw.
GLOR: Do you see peace in your lifetime?
NETANYAHU: I see it already now. We have peace with Egypt. We have peace with Jordan.
GLOR: Peace with the Palestinians.
NETANYAHU: Yes, I think it's possible. Not with those Palestinians like Hamas who call for our destruction, but I see peace with any one of our neighbors who’s willing to live in peace. I think, yes, I think it's possible.
[Cuts back to live]
GLOR: Netanyahu enjoys a very close relationship with President Trump. The President had tasked his son-in-law Jared Kushner with handling any peace talks, potentially. We have not seen a Kushner plan, though. And now that Mike Pompeo is secretary of state, he has given every indication he wants to be involved. So it does not appear any new peace process gets rolling any time soon.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: It will be interesting to see how all of this unfolds. Jeff, what is Netanyahu's main priority now?
GLOR: He would tell you security, and he's trying to manage that on many fronts right now. Israel is involved in the two areas nearby, Gaza and the West Bank. They are now also engaging Iran militarily in significant ways. I asked Netanyahu about this, whether he believes his military is overcommitted. He told us, quote, "Israel has been here before." Bianna?
