- 2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg staked out a bold stance towards Israel in a speech outlining his foreign policy agenda at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
- “He should know that a President Buttigieg would take steps to make sure that American taxpayers won’t help foot the bill,” Buttigieg said of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- Buttigieg affirmed his commitment to a strong US-Israel relationship, but argued that Netanyahu’s conservative government deserves criticism.
- The South Bend mayor joins a small group of 2020 Democrats who’ve spoken out against Israeli settlements.
2020 presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg staked out a bold stance towards Israel in a speech outlining his foreign policy agenda at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
Buttigieg warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that under his presidency the US wouldn’t support Israel’s annexation of the West Bank through the expansion of settlements.
“He should know that a President Buttigieg would take steps to make sure that American taxpayers won’t help foot the bill,” he said.
Buttigieg affirmed his commitment to a strong US-Israel relationship, but argued that Netanyahu’s conservative government deserves criticism. He added that a two-state solution is the only suitable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“A supporter of Israel may also oppose the policies of the Israeli right-wing government, especially when we see increasingly disturbing signs that the Netanyahu government is turning away from peace,” he said.
Buttigieg joins just a few 2020 Democratic candidates, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Bernie Sanders, and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who’ve been openly critical of Netanyahu and Israel’s stance towards the Palestinian people.
Read the article by Eliza Relman, John Haltiwanger on Business Insider Australia.