Republican Senator Lindsey Graham compared the fight between Israel and Hamas to World war II, stating that the US’s choice to drop nuclear bombs on Japan to finish the war was the “right decision” and that Israel should likewise be given the bombs “they need” to do the same.
The President Joe Biden was chastised by Republican Senator Graham, who is an ardent supporter of Israel, for stopping the shipment of three thousand heavy bombs to Israel.
Graham stated the following in an interview with NBC News on Sunday: “We opted to terminate the war by bombing [of] Hiroshima [and] Nagasaki with nuclear weapons when we were confronted with destruction as a nation after Pearl Harbour, fighting the Germans and the Japanese…Making that choice was the right one.”
He further stated, “Provide Israel with the necessary bombs to bring an end to the conflict. They cannot afford defeat.” Expanding on this, the Senator compared Israel’s situation to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, events that resulted in the deaths of over 200,000 people and left countless others deeply traumatized.
He emphasized that Israel should take whatever measures necessary to ensure its survival as a Jewish state, echoing, “Why was it acceptable for America to utilize two nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to conclude their existential threat conflict? Why was that deemed acceptable? I believed it was acceptable,” Graham asserted. Additionally, he urged Israel to take any steps required to maintain itself as a Jewish state, stating, “So, Israel, do whatever you need to do to persevere as a Jewish state. Whatever actions are necessary.”
The Republican Senator also asserted that Hamas bears responsibility for civilian casualties in the conflict by using civilians as ‘human shields’. “I believe it’s impossible to reduce civilian deaths in Gaza as long as Hamas employs their own population as human shields. I’ve never witnessed such blatant actions by an enemy – Hamas – to endanger civilians,” Graham remarked. “The last thing you want to do is encourage this behavior.”
President Joe Biden recently halted the delivery of 3000 heavy bombs to Israel and pledged to withhold further offensive weaponry if Israeli forces initiate a major operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians seek refuge. Biden’s decision to pause the heavy bomb deliveries, coupled with his critique of Israel’s military campaign and his warning of additional weapon withholding in case of a Rafah incursion, coincides with widespread college protests in the US and discontent with the war from certain Democrats and his left flank.