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Rubio Campaign Press Release - Rubio: The Obama Administration Needs to Stop Blaming Israel for Palestinian Terror

October 15, 2015

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October 15, 2015

By Marco Rubio

As Palestinian terrorists continue to murder and maim Israelis, the Obama administration is spreading malicious falsehoods about the attacks. On Wednesday, administration spokesmen continued to blame "both sides" for the violence, as if the Israeli victims were themselves somehow culpable.

Indeed, speaking at Harvard on Tuesday, Secretary of State Kerry imputed responsibility to the Israelis. "There's been a massive increase in settlements over the course of the last years," he said. "Now you have this violence because there's a frustration that is growing." This is false. There has been no massive increase in settlements, and his statement ignores the campaign of incitement based on the lie that the Israelis are seeking to displace the Muslims from the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

By lying about the true causes of the violence and falsely blaming the Israelis, Kerry brings dishonor on the United States. By providing a Palestinian leadership with cover for its support for terrorism, he rewards incitement.

For her part, Hillary Clinton is no better. She refuses to even say the words "Palestinian terrorism." Her statement on Monday fails to identify those guilty of stabbing women and children. It avoids criticizing those who for weeks have exhorted Palestinians to murder and wound Israeli civilians — namely, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, his Fatah Party, and Hamas. It does not even endorse Israel's right to defend itself.

The United States, however, must defend Israel's right to fight terrorism as if its own rights depended on it. Indeed, they do. History shows that the excuses for terror that are hurled at Israel today will be hurled at us tomorrow. Speaking the truth about Israel under siege is our first line of defense.

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Marco Rubio, Rubio Campaign Press Release - Rubio: The Obama Administration Needs to Stop Blaming Israel for Palestinian Terror Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/314097

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