Should US send forces into Israel? Here’s what GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Tim Scott said
As the U.S. military moves an aircraft carrier and a strike group closer to Israel, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott said having American special forces available will be helpful during the escalating conflict in Israel and Gaza.
The U.S. Department of Defense ordered assets into the eastern Mediterranean Sea, as Israel on Sunday declared war on Hamas in response to a bloody attack on Israelis. On Saturday, Scott, a Republican candidate for president, had called on President Joe Biden to deploy the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet to assist Israel.
“I’m glad that we did; that was a show of force, number one,” Scott said Monday, speaking to reporters at a South Carolina campaign stop. “Number two, it puts us in the best position for humanitarian assistance. And number three, as it relates to the American hostages, I think having our special operations forces prepared to be of assistance is going to be helpful. We should also recognize, though, that Israel does have the resources and the manpower to deal with this conflict themselves.”
Hamas militants on Saturday attacked Israel. Some 1,500 Israelis and Palestinians, and at least nine Americans, have been killed in the ensuing violence. Hamas also has taken hostages, including Americans.
Scott, speaking to reporters in Greenville outside of Stax’s Original Restaurant, placed blame for the attack on Biden, saying Biden showed weakness and is complicit in the attack on Israel. Scott pointed to a disputed but widely circulating claim that a Biden administration prisoner swap deal that freed up $6 billion in assets for Iran facilitated the attack, as Iran has been known to support the Hamas militant group.
The Biden administration has said Iran can only use that money for humanitarian-related purposes and that the country has not yet used any of the funds that were recently made available.
“This is going to be a long process, without any question,” Scott said. “We should make sure that there is no daylight whatsoever between the United States of America and Israel, and the way to do that is to stand firm and strong and also be thankful for the $30 billion of military assistance that we have sent to Israel over the last 10 years.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2023 at 3:02 PM with the headline "Should US send forces into Israel? Here’s what GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Tim Scott said."
