On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Story Is,” Rep.-Elect Aisha Wahab (D-CA) said that she doesn’t support taxpayer funding for weapons for Israel and she doesn’t “support weapons going out of this country.”
Host Elex Michaelson asked, “Should AIPAC be afraid of you in Congress? And do you support U.S. taxpayer funding [for] weapons for Israel?”
Wahab responded, “No, I don’t support weapons going out of this country. I think that there’s a time and place for war, but just needless war is unnecessary, and I’ve been very clear about that. I believe in human rights across the board. I’ve said it a million times, as a former foster youth, I think that we should care about the foster youth here in this country and in this county, as well as the kids being detained under United States ICE detention centers, as well as the kids abroad. And what we are seeing is not the American Dream or really upholds the American value system across this world. So, I think that it’s a concern. I do believe in a strong relationship with all countries and all nations. And the United States needs to practice better diplomacy, even with nations where we don’t necessarily like their leadership or care for their leadership. And so, I think that there is a difference in international relations and how we have gone about it in the last three decades. And I will say, I’m a kid that grew up in the 9/11 era, and we’ve seen war after war after war, endless war that didn’t actually serve a purpose and created more instability in those regions, which actually does affect both Europe and the United States, negatively.”
Michaelson then asked, “I know you’ve called what Israel has done in Gaza a genocide. The other side would say that Israel has been one of America’s greatest allies over the years and it’s important to support that state in the Middle East. What do you say to that, that Israel itself may not be able to exist without the support of the United States?”
Wahab answered, “Two things can be true. As I stated, Israel can be an ally to the United States, but, at the same time, we should have the right, as American citizens, to criticize any foreign nation and their direction. I think that the fact that Israel has bombed multiple countries and largely expects the United States to defend them at every turn, it is our responsibility to say, hey, we’re going to kind of rein this in, because this is causing a lot of damage to the American people. American soldiers are giving their lives for unnecessary wars and conflict. And I have called it a genocide, but I also want to be very clear, human rights is not a zero-sum game. You can support the Palestinian people and their right to exist, as well as supporting the Israeli people and their right to exist.”
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