On Sunday, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, said that the way President Joe Biden has dealt with Iran’s attack on Israel is encouraging Iran and Hezbollah. He also said that Israel does not need U.S. help or permission to react according to their own military doctrine and interests.
Rubio and Jake Tapper, the host of CNN’s “State of the Union” show on Sunday, talked about Iran’s first-ever direct attack on Israel from the air. Drones, ballistic missiles, and rockets were launched from Iran and by Iran’s allies in other countries, like Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The details of Biden’s call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday were leaked to the press. During the call, Biden told Netanyahu not to react to Iran’s attack and said that the U.S. would not join any attack against Iran.
Democrats like Sen. John Fetterman and Republicans like Rubio were angry by Biden’s answer. Rubio told Tapper later in the interview that Biden said what he did to “appease” the “so-called peace activists,” whom he called “antisemites, anti-Israel, pro-terrorist elements.”
But Rubio also said in the interview that letting the call get out makes Israel’s enemies stronger.
“They are continuing to play this public game, which frankly helps Iran and Hezbollah, which we haven’t even talked about, as well as the Houthis and all these other groups that are attacking Israel,” he said.
