Bill Clinton criticised for saying Israel ‘forced’ to kill Gaza civilians

Arab and Muslim leaders telephone erstwhile US president’s comments ‘insulting’ and ‘counterproductive’.

Former United States President Bill Clinton is facing backlash from US Muslim and Arab Americans aft saying Israel has been “forced” to termination civilians successful Gaza and suggesting Israel was successful the Holy Land “first”, earlier the Palestinians.

Speaking astatine a rally for Democratic statesmanlike campaigner Kamala Harris successful Michigan, a important swing US state with ample Arab and Muslim populations who the Democrats are trying to triumph over, Clinton said helium understands people’s concerns astir the bloodshed successful Gaza, but said Israel has nary prime but to inflict ample civilian losses, adjacent arsenic it is accused of genocide successful the International Court of Justice.

“Hamas makes definite that they’re shielded. They’ll unit you to termination civilians if you privation to support yourself,” Clinton said.

“I’m going to bash everything I tin to person radical they cannot execution their mode retired of this, either side,” helium aboriginal added.

Since Israel’s warfare connected Gaza broke out, Israeli forces person killed much than 43,000 radical successful the Palestinian enclave, the majority women and children. A United Nations-backed commission has accused Israel’s subject of “crimes against humanity” during the war, including forced starvation and intentional attacks connected civilians, arsenic good arsenic blaming Palestinian groups for warfare crimes.

Clinton besides stirred contention erstwhile helium said Israelis were successful the Holy Land “first”.

“I got quality for [Hamas]—[Israelis] were determination first, earlier their religion existed,” helium said, avoiding notation to the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians ethnically cleansed from their homes successful 1948, during the warfare that established Israel.

‘Insulting and Islamophobic’

Arab- and Muslim-American leaders slammed Clinton for antagonising communities whose votes Democrats have been courting successful the razor-tight November 5 US election.

“Hard to deliberation of a much counterproductive mode to nonstop this message,” wrote Yousef Munayyer, caput of the Palestine/Israel programme astatine the Arab Center Washington DC, connected societal media.

“Bill Clinton’s callous and dishonest effort to warrant the Israeli government’s attacks connected civilians successful Gaza was arsenic insulting arsenic it was Islamophobic,” said Robert S McCaw, manager of authorities affairs astatine the Council connected American-Islamic Relations, successful a statement.

Despite traditionally voting Democratic, galore Arab Americans are turning distant from the enactment this twelvemonth owed to choler implicit President Joe Biden’s unwavering enactment for Israel amid wars successful Gaza and Lebanon, a presumption Harris has maintained. A caller survey suggests much Arab Americans enactment Republican campaigner Donald Trump than Harris, a inclination that could beryllium important successful Michigan.

The Democrats person been accused of being tone-deaf successful their comments connected Israel and the Palestinians, and focusing their messaging towards pro-Palestinian progressives connected informing of the dangers of Trump, alternatively than enactment to halt Israel from continuing its wars successful the Middle East.

Abdullah Hammoud, the politician of the US’s archetypal Arab-majority city, Dearborn, said remarks by Clinton and different Democratic leaders were not helping the party’s lawsuit with his community.

“Rumor has it the Dems privation to nonstop Bill Clinton to Dearborn to rally the Arab ballot this weekend,” Hammoud wrote connected societal media.

“Do america a favour – halt sending surrogates who person nary respect oregon respect for this community. You’re lone inflicting much damage.”