Rubio has been a solid asset for President Trump. He’s defending the administration with every chance he gets.
And Marco Rubio kicks the mainstream media to the curb with this stunning rebuke.
In a Thursday interview on The World Over with host Raymond Arroyo, Secretary of State Marco Rubio tore into the media’s lopsided coverage of the Gaza war and called out U.S. allies for actions that he says make peace tougher to secure by glossing over the threat of Hamas. The wide-ranging discussion tackled the thorny issues at play in the conflict, with Rubio laying out three critical challenges that demand equal focus.
Arroyo zeroed in on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans, asking, “It looks like Benjamin Netanyahu wants to occupy Gaza. Is occupation of Gaza the right way to go right now? And what about the humanitarian crisis?”
Rubio pushed back, stressing that Israel alone should determine its security needs. “Ultimately, what Israel needs to do for Israel’s security will be determined by Israel,” he said, before diving into the three simultaneous crises fueling the conflict.
First, Rubio addressed the humanitarian situation, which he noted hogs the media spotlight. “This is the humanitarian problem that we’re seeing — no one wants to see that,” he said. “And the United States stands prepared to contribute towards any real effort that will actually get food and medicine and life-sustaining aid to people on the ground in Gaza.”
The second crisis, Rubio said, is the overlooked plight of Israeli hostages. “There are 20 innocent people being held hostage and starved inside of tunnels,” he stated.
“Unfortunately, there aren’t daily cameras down there covering that. So, you don’t see the mainstream media covering it. But there are 20 people that have done nothing wrong that are being held as hostage — and we saw the conditions that they’re living in the other day.” He vented frustration at the media’s silence, leaving these captives’ suffering in the dark.
The third and most pressing issue, Rubio argued, is Hamas itself. “As long as Hamas exists, particularly exists as an armed organization, there will never be peace in Gaza,” he said to Arroyo.
“Hamas is not going to suddenly change and go into another line of work, their line of work, their reason for existing, is they want to destroy Israel. They want to drive every Jew out of the Middle East. That’s their goal. And as long as a group like that has weapons and the ability to fight, they’re a threat to peace.” Ignoring this, he said, lets Hamas think they’re winning the global PR battle.
Rubio didn’t hold back on allies’ missteps, particularly their moves to recognize a Palestinian state. Arroyo pointed out that gestures like French President Emmanuel Macron’s unilateral recognition coincided with stalled ceasefire talks. Rubio agreed, saying these actions embolden Hamas.
“Well, if I’m Hamas, I basically conclude, let’s not do a ceasefire, right? We can be rewarded and we can claim it as a victory,” he explained. “So those messages, while largely symbolic in their minds, actually have made it harder to get peace and harder to achieve a deal with Hamas. They feel emboldened.”
Arroyo highlighted the Arab League’s push to oust Hamas, noting, “I mean, clearly the Arab League says you got to get Hamas out of there. They need to drop arms and move on.”
Rubio agreed, warning that recognizing a Palestinian state without clarifying who’d govern it risks more conflict. “They can’t define the borders or who’s going to run it,” he said.
“I mean, you can’t have a state or even an autonomous region unless you can identify who’s going to run it. And if it’s going to be run by Hamas, you’re going to be right back into war.”
Looking back, Rubio noted missed chances for progress. “I think what’s important to remember here is that they’ve had opportunities to do this,” he said.
“You know, Israel turned over Gaza, turned it over completely with greenhouses and all kinds of things. And they elected Hamas. Hamas destroyed it, destroyed it all, took it, built tunnels instead of hospitals. That’s what they do.” He wrapped up by slamming unilateral moves by foreign governments, arguing they only empower Hamas and dim prospects for peace.
You can watch the full interview with Marco Rubio by using the video player below:
