Meet the Press: Lindsey Graham

Interview

Thank you. Thank you.

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Yeah. I will be going to Saudi Arabia and Israel in the coming days with a group of senators. The drive to peace and normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel continues. There's a desire by both parties to move forward in this effort to normalize relationships. Israel is talking about humanitarian aid. They're going to turn the water on in the South. They're urging the Egyptians to let people from Gaza go into the Sinai. I just got a message from Cindy McCain, the head of the World Food Program. They're in dire straits. So here's my message to our friends in Egypt: open up. Allow Gaza residents to go into the Sinai. To the international community, we have to help. To our friends in Israel, you need the time and space to destroy Hamas. All Palestinians are not the same. If Hamas is destroyed, Israel is safer, and the pathway to peace between the Palestinians and the world gets wider. So I start this morning somewhat optimistic that Iran's goal to destroy the peace process between Israel and Saudi Arabia will fail.

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No, I've never felt better about the drive to peace by Saudi, Israel, and the United States shall continue. We need to change the world as it is. Nothing would change the world for the better more than Saudi Arabia, Israel, and the United States to form agreements to end the Arab/Israeli conflict as we know it.

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Yeah.

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If necessary.

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No --

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No. I'm calling for the destruction of Hamas. Israel is trying to find a safe place for Gaza residents. Hamas is trying to stop them from leaving. Israel is trying to encourage them to leave. Our friends in Egypt, you have it in your power to give Gaza residents a safe place. This will be a World-War-Two-type operation, where you go in and destroy the regime, Hamas, and over time, replace it with something else, like we did Germany and Japan. But the Israelis do not want to kill innocent people. They're going to turn the water on. Every death going forward I blame on Hamas, not Israel.

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Israel doesn't need me to tell them to let them out; they want them out. Israel doesn't--you know, the tit-for-tat exchange, the old way of doing business died with the killing and slaughter of Israeli babies by Hamas. We're not going to do the old game anymore. The goal is to destroy Hamas. It's a terrorist organization. That would liberate the Palestinian people who live in Gaza, and it would make it safer for Israel. We're going to give Israel the time and the space. Egypt, if you're listening to this program, open up your borders. The world will help you deal with these people in the Sinai, and they will go back home. But when they go back home, Hamas will be destroyed.

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Okay, here's what I think. That's a really good question. All Palestinians are not the same. They're all not terrorists. The P.A. is still in existence in the West Bank. The deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia has a Palestinian component. For this deal to really go into effect, the Saudis are willing to help the Palestinians. But the P.A. needs to change. We got old, corrupt leaders. They need to be replaced with younger leaders who are less corrupt. So I have no animosity toward the Palestinian people. I want to destroy Hamas. I want to go to the heart of the problem.

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I am saying Hamas needs to be destroyed. Israel needs to have a safe zone in Gaza. The Gaza people need to be liberated from Hamas. But how do you get there from here, is your question.

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Yes.

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A bit. I want to applaud President Biden for his strong statement in support of Israel. I just got off the phone with the Israelis. Their goal is to destroy Hamas in the South and try to save as many innocent Palestinians as possible, to prevent escalation North from Hezbollah. Here's my message: If Hezbollah, which is a proxy of Iran, launches a massive attack on Israel, I would consider that a threat to the state of Israel, existential in nature. I'll introduce a resolution in the United States Senate to allow military action by the United States, in conjunction with Israel, to knock Iran out of the oil business. Iran, if you escalate this war, we're coming for you.

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I am poised to use military force to destroy the source of funding for Hamas and Hezbollah. The idea that Iran read about this operation in the paper or on television is laughable. 93% of Hezbollah and Hamas's money comes from Iran. They're the source of the problem. They're the great evil. So, if Hezbollah escalates against Israel, it will be because Iran told them to. Then Iran, you're in the crosshairs of the United States and Israel.

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Yeah, that was a huge mistake. If I were President Trump, I'd talk about being the strongest President for Israel in modern times. He issued a statement two days ago, "I stand with Bibi, I stand with Israel." Yeah, it was a mistake. He's on the right track. But you know, Biden administration's border policies are failing, and their policies against Iran are failing.

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No. I thought it was not helpful. And President Trump has a lot to -- he recognized Israel, Jerusalem as the capital, he recognized the Golan Heights as part of Israel. He put in place the Abraham Accords. That's what I would -- no, I wouldn't criticize Bibi. He put out a statement a couple of days ago, "I stand with Bibi." The House -- you know, I know we got a lot to talk about. If I were in the House, I'd vote for Jim Jordan tomorrow. He's a good man. But we need to get a speaker.

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I haven't beat on Biden a whole lot. It's his policies toward appeasing Iran, withdrawing from Afghanistan, and looking weak in the eyes of Russia, are they disqualifying? We'll have an election. President Trump was a strong president. They were afraid of him. Iran was afraid of him, and Russia was afraid of him. We've lost deterrents. We need to regain it. I'm not here talking about the '24 election. I'm talking about destroying Hamas in a way that will make Israel safer and the Palestinian people freer.

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It could be. Now, we had a meeting two days ago with senators, ranking member and chairman with the White House. Here's what's coming out of the Senate very soon: a big package for Ukraine. To my House colleagues: if you strip out Ukrainian aid, Russia will keep going. There will eventually be a war between NATO and Russia, and it will be a green light to China to invade Taiwan. So to the Republicans in the House: if you pull the plug on Ukraine, you're going to create more war in Europe. China will go after Taiwan. To the Biden administration, you don't need Lindsey Graham just saying we're coming after Iran; you need to say it.

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I think it should be transparent. You know, President Trump--

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No. Every member of Congress will vote. So here's what will happen, we get an aid package to the House, the Ukrainian component will pass. Defeating Russia is in our national security interests. We haven't lost one soldier in Iran. We spent less than 5% of our military budget.

They have destroyed 50% of the Russian combat capability, the Ukrainians. Keeping Ukraine in the fight deters war between China and Taiwan. And we'll stop Putin. He must be defeated before we get in a war in NATO. To the Biden administration: I will work with you to bring peace between Saudi and Israel. But you're going to have to up your game when it comes to Iran, and do it now.

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Thank you.

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See you.

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