On Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Arena,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said that while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has concerns over Iran’s nuclear program, he “has other considerations, just like President Trump, who may want to distract from other developments.” And “it’s not unknown, either here in the United States or in the Middle East, for political figures to try and change the subject or to take bold or decisive action that may or may not be in their nation’s best interests, merely to change the subject from politically inconvenient developments.”
Host Kasie Hunt asked, “Sir, there, of course, has been discussion of the Israeli Prime Minister’s tenuous political situation at home. He faced the possible dissolution of his own government. That, of course, has been put on hold, considering what we’ve seen unfolding here. Do you think that played any role in what we’ve seen unfold in the last 48 hours?”
Coons responded, “Look, it’s hard to know the judgment of political leaders. If there’s one thing that Prime Minister Netanyahu has been relentlessly focused on during his long career in elected service in Israel, it’s the threat of Iran and his relentless attacks on, concerns about, denunciation of the Iranian nuclear program. I understand that, because Iran has repeatedly threatened to destroy Israel and has supported proxies throughout the region that have carried out attacks on Americans, on civilians, on other countries. But you’re right that the Prime Minister has other considerations, just like President Trump, who may want to distract from other developments. I’ll remind you, we currently have a war of aggression by Russia against Ukraine, we have the ongoing conflict in Gaza, we have the risks in Taiwan, and we’ve got the bill, the reconciliation bill, the so-called big beautiful bill that is trying to move through the Congress. Last week, all we were talking about was the breakup, the public breakup between Elon Musk and Donald Trump and how Musk was denouncing Trump’s major legislative initiative. After a show of force in Los Angeles by the National Guard and the Marines in response to protests that local law enforcement had under control, now, all we’re talking about is either the situation in Los Angeles and the rough mishandling of Sen. Padilla (D-CA), or now these attacks in the Middle East. So, it’s not unknown, either here in the United States or in the Middle East, for political figures to try and change the subject or to take bold or decisive action that may or may not be in their nation’s best interests, merely to change the subject from politically inconvenient developments.”
Earlier in the interview, Coons stated that he doesn’t believe that the U.S. gave “explicit approval” for the strikes.
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