Joe Scarborough is catching flack for daring to say out loud what a lot of Americans are thinking anyway, namely that the indiscriminate killing of Gazans by Israel has to stop.
Joe Scarborough: They blew up a popular marketplace yesterday and they blew up a U.N. school where there were 17 warnings — 17. That is indiscriminate. You know what? We share Israel’s values a hell of a lot, a lot more than the people than they are bombing, but you know what? The United States of America — we cannot be associated with this if this continues. This is so bad, not only for the Israeli people, but for us.
Naturally though, those on the right were none too pleased with his impertinence (via Politico), and he's now walking back those comments somewhat, saying he's as an “unambiguously strong” supporter of the Jewish state as he's ever been, and he's not blaming Israel for retaliating. He just worries about the long term consequences of their present actions.
“Far from taking an antagonistic approach towards Israel,” he continued, “I am most concerned about Israel’s long-term security. And Israel does not become more secure by increasing attacks that continue to kill women and children.”
He warned, as he did earlier Thursday, that Israel’s response could radicalize Palestinian citizens and mobilize a group more extreme than Hamas.
