Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who has not been afraid to stand up for Israel and call out Hamas, has been trending over X on Thursday for how he handled a pro-ceasefire Code Pink activist on Wednesday. In the moments that he took to respond, Rubio boldly and accurately reminded that Hamas is to blame in all of this.
Medea Benjamin was filmed asking Rubio "will you call for a ceasefire," to which he unequivocally declared "no I will not," adding "on the contrary." As he asked "are you filming this," he made sure to get as close to the camera as possible while he gestured and made clear "I want you guys to get this. I want them to destroy every element of Hamas, they can get their hands on. These people are vicious animals, who did horrifying crimes, and I hope that you guys post that."
As Benjamin asked "and what about the civilians that are being killed every day," Rubio pointed out "I blame Hamas," reminding "Hamas should stop hiding behind civilians," just as they continue to do at hospitals, "putting civilians in the way."
"Hamas knew this was gonna lead to this so Hamas has to stop building their military installations underneath hospitals." Evidently not hearing a word of that, Benjamin charged "so you don't care that 15,000 died, you don't care about the babies that are getting killed every day?"
"I care, I think it's horrifying, I think it's terrible, and I think Hamas is 100 percent to blame," the senator responded. "That's what I think, make sure you post that, please."
Destroy Hamas https://t.co/XO8rUt9GPk
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) November 28, 2023
¡Las mismas ‘activistas’ que ilegalmente se tomaron la Embajada de Venezuela en EE.UU., hoy advocan por un cese al fuego!
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) November 30, 2023
Los terroristas de Hamás son unos salvajes. pic.twitter.com/VuAVOSdBRt
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Rubio also posted and/or reposted clips to both of his X accounts, in English and in Spanish. He provided a statement for Townhall as well about the exchange and the foolhardy demands for a ceasefire. "People need to remember that Hamas exists to destroy Israel, not peacefully co-exist with the Jewish state. A ceasefire gives them a chance to reload, move weapons caches, and plan their next attacks. In other words, a ceasefire is a tactical victory for Hamas, not an endgame," he reminded.
It's also worth reminding that during this temporary pause currently going on for the exchange of hostages and allowing humanitarian aid to reach Gaza, Hamas has inflicted attacks on people in Jerusalem.
Benjamin, did in fact, post the clip. She also added a shameful response that showed she didn't take the senator's points into consideration. Using pro-Hamas, anti-Israel talking points, the Code Pink co-founder claimed that the conflict "did not start on October 7," but rather claimed "it was preceded by decades of soul crushing oppression against Palestinians that you, and many other senators have refused to acknowledge." This is despite how Rubio, to her face, said he did care, and offered that "it's horrifying" and "terrible," but correctly pointed out "Hamas is 100 percent to blame."
Doubling down on her talking points, Benjamin went on to say that "oppression and despair is what to led to October 7th." She also claimed that "despite billions in U.S. weapons, Israel will not be able to crush Hamas militarily," which she said "because with every bomb that kills more innocent people, more Palestinians are determined to take up arms."
For someone who claims to care so much about Palestinians, Benjamin bizarrely equated them with Hamas terrorists. "Many of today's Hamas' fighters were orphaned in previous Israeli incursions into Gaza," she continued, as if to further explain and even justify their terrorism. "You really need to understand this fact, Senator Rubio," she said to emphasize her narrative. "There will never be peace in Israel until there is justice for Palestinians."
The video also showed countless notes adorning Rubio's office area that the group had left, including one made to look like a bloody print.
What went unmentioned by Benjamin, and what Rubio had been alluding to by charging Hamas with being "vicious animals, who did horrifying crimes," was that 1,200 Israelis were killed on October 7, making it the bloodiest day in the nation's history. It also resulted in the most Jews killed since the Holocaust. Hamas indiscriminately targeted men, women, and children. Not even babies or Holocaust survivors were spared. The terrorists also took part in rape, torture, and kidnapping.
While Benjamin appeared to take issue with how Rubio "called us Hamas supporters because we want to stop killing babies," it's worth reminding that not only did Benjamin use pro-Hamas talking points in her response by suggesting Israel was to blame for the attack. She also neglected to show care or concern in her response for those babies, including not-yet-born ones, who were savagely murdered by Hamas via unspeakable methods.
Posts and reposts shared to Benjamin's own X account show the group meeting with and confronting members of Congress from both sides of the aisle as they demand a ceasefire, with plans to return.
Code Pink has been viciously anti-Israel since even before the October 7 terrorist attack. As Townhall previously covered when addressing the radical ties of pro-Hamas groups like American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), radical leftist groups called on the DNC ahead of the 2020 convention to "condemn Israeli occupation." Code Pink was part of that "progressive coaltion."
There was no statement from Code Pink posted to their website on October 7, though the statement posted on October 8 saved all of its sympathy and support for Palestinians as it threw around charges against Israel such as "Occupation, Colonization, and Apartheid." The statement also seemed to defend Hamas' actions by at one point reading "We cannot pretend to be shocked by the resistance of the Palestinians, which follows 20 years of non-violent activism that has fallen on the deaf ears of those in power."
We encountered Senator Rubio today. He wants Israel to keep bombing Gaza until "they destroy every element of Hamas." He doesn't get it: Bombing creates MORE resistance. There will never be peace in Israel until there is justice for Palestinians. I respond with a video... pic.twitter.com/8i9fhapyyp
— Medea Benjamin (@medeabenjamin) November 30, 2023
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