(DCWatchdog.com) – During a press conference in Tel Aviv, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina had a meltdown during an exchange with Newsmax’s Israel correspondent, Daniel Cohen.
Cohen questioned why certain U.S. political figures, specifically Democrat Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, were not more vocally condemned for not disavowing Hamas’ attacks.
Highlighting a specific incident, Cohen mentioned that Tlaib had tweeted a condemnation of Israel for an alleged hospital attack, which, according to him, was false. This prompted a strong reaction from Senator Graham, who was accompanied by a group of U.S. senators.
Clearly agitated, Graham responded, “We are here together, not to talk about the problems at home, which are many.”
He then pointedly told Cohen, “I’ve got my own view of what to say — you’re not going to screw this up.” When Cohen attempted to defend his line of questioning, Graham, raising his voice, repeated, “You’re not going to screw this up.”
Attempting to have Cohen removed from the press conference, Graham gestured to security, saying, “Get this guy out of here!” However, his request was not heeded by the Israeli security present.
In a moment of irony, Graham said, “I am an American, I believe in free speech,” a statement made moments after he had tried to have Cohen ejected.
He further commented on the views of the controversial congresswomen who is part of the Squad, stating, “But I came here with Democrats and Republicans to let everyone in the world know: Don’t judge every Democrat by the Squad, and don’t judge every Republican by some of the things you hear.”
Representatives Tlaib and Omar were previously criticized for attributing an explosion at Al-Ahli Arab Hospital to an Israeli airstrike.
They sourced their claim from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry. However, current U.S. assessments suggest the explosion may have resulted from a rocket misfire by a Palestinian group.
Cohen, who holds both U.S. and Israeli citizenship, expressed his expectation for a straightforward answer to his question. Senator Graham later apologized, mentioning the heightened emotions due to the tense situation in the region.
Separately, Senator Susan Collins from Maine expressed her perspective, stating, “It’s very hard for me to understand why a member of Congress or anyone would not condemn what Hamas has done.” Citing numerous violent incidents attributed to Hamas, Collins emphasized the need for unequivocal condemnation.
The press conference was attended by several U.S. senators, including Richard Blumenthal, Cory Booker, Katie Britt, Ben Cardin, Chris Coons, Jack Reed, Dan Sullivan, John Thune, and of course, Lindsey Graham and Susan Collins.
