ICYMI: Risch Talks Middle East at MEAD

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, had a conversation with Yaakov Katz, co-founder of MEAD, titled "Inside Foreign Affairs with Senator Risch," at the MEAD Summit in Washington D.C.

What are your thoughts on Israel's attack on Hamas in Qatar?

"If you are a member of Hamas, and a leader that had anything to do with the planning or execution of Oct. 7^th, or the defense of it, it is a dangerous place to be because Israel is going to do something about it."

What does the day after the war in Gaza look like?

"Whatever happens on the day after cannot include Hamas, in anyway shape or form. I urge our Arab friends to step up and put a plan in place. The Arab states? I would like to see a lot more of them getting their heads together to solve this permanently."

Are you surprised how long it's taken Israel to degrade Hamas?

"Not really, I think Israel has been cautious and they have to be since they're getting beat up everywhere. But when you have an enemy that hides behind women and children, that puts their military organizations in the basements of hospitals and schools, it's difficult."

What are your thoughts on an Israeli-Saudi normalization?

"I think it's very much on the table but aways away because it's not going to happen while this war is going on. But I'm optimistic there will be a wave towards normalization once this thing is over. But we're not seeing this come to an end. Israel is not going to quit and the people who started this need to end it and they can end it tomorrow, in this moment, all they have to do is lay down their arms and surrender. That's how it's going to end and if it doesn't end that way then it's going to end like WWII ended for us and that is - we got them all."

Is the Senate prepared to help Lebanon?

"The answer is yes. We are at a once in a generational opportunity. Both Lebanon and Syria are looking to us, they want the West to step in and help, and we would be very foolish not to take this opportunity. I was the author of the Ceasar sanctions in Syria, I want to help, and I don't know anyone in the Senate who isn't all in on helping Lebanon and Syria get to their feet. These are two countries that are foundational countries to the Middle East and will play a big role in how the Middle East goes forward."

On Al-Sharra, what are your conditions for sanctions to be removed?

1. "You don't bring Iran and Russia back.
2. They must have religious tolerance.
3. Continue to push back against ISIS.
4. Have respect for human rights.

So far, they haven't said no to any of that. If they misbehave, they're going to go back on, but we need to give them an opportunity and like all things it's got to start with the Syrians."

If there is a new agreement on an Iran nuclear deal? What would that look like and are you going to demand Senate oversight for it?

"The Iranians objective has always been obtaining a nuclear weapon, if they talk like that then I don't want an agreement with those people. Iran just learned that if they go back to what they were doing then they're going to get the same thing again. We're not going to go through what we went through last time, we're going to have our own fingerprints on this, if we get it."

What optimism can you leave us with?

"We have one bad actor left, and that bad actor is Iran. Groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Iraqi militants, are all funded, directed, and inspired by Iran. If Iran was off the table these groups would not exist, and could not exist, so we're down to one. I've talked with my Arab friends and they're sick and tired of Iran and the direction Iran is trying to take them. They're sick of groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas trying to lead them in a direction they don't want to go.

"I think the turning point was the original Abraham Accords, which President Trump doesn't get nearly enough credit for, I think people will look back on that as a turning point. The night when Iran had had enough and decided to launch 300 rockets into Israel, not one of them did any damage. That was because of the Iron Dome, but flying alongside the U.S., UK, and France were two Arab countries to defend Israel against an attack by Iran! If that doesn't indicate change, I don't know what does.

"I've talked to people from the Middle East; they don't want the old Middle East. They want to look forward to the 21^st century. There is change in the Middle East and I think it's for the good. It will continue to move forward but will depend on how well we can ALL suppress Iran. We can't have a country with the objectives of Iran. I don't mean the Iranian people, in fact if you got rid of the regime, I think Iran would be a Western leaning, progressive country - it can't happen with this regime."

###

• Print
• Email
• Share
• Tweet