This is a rush transcript from “Hannity,” June 1, 2010. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
SEAN HANNITY, HOST: Last night, a Turkish-backed flotilla tried to break Israel and Egypt’s naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Now the blockade was put in place to prevent weapons from entering the territory.
Now, aboard the ships were people calling themselves, quote, “peace activists.” But when members of the Israeli defense forces boarded the ship to stop it from entering port, the pro-Palestinian activists attacked them with chairs, metal poles and knives. Now, the Israelis were authorized to fire their weapons in self-defense only when one soldier was thrown down 30 feet to a lower deck on the ship and another was hit in the head and trampled while they did so.
Nine of the pro-Palestinian activists were killed in the ensuing gunfight. But the activists are apparently not deterred. Now, organizers of yesterday’s flotilla mission say they are sending another ship, the NV Rachel Corrie, to break the Israeli-Egyptian blockade. Now, it is said to arrive in Gaza waters tomorrow, and according to The Toronto Star, it carries another 15 pro- Palestinian activists.
Now, that vessel was named after Rachel Corrie, the anti-Israeli activist who was killed in 2003 by an Israeli tank as she tried to obstruct its path. Now, she is seen here burning a mock American flag.
I don’t think you have to be a Middle East expert to figure out the intentions of the Rachel Corrie vessel and their passengers.
So, with Israel under attack, will the Obama administration stand by their promise to Israel that they made on the campaign trail?
Joining me now with reaction to all of this is Arizona Senator John McCain.
Senator, all right.
SEN. JOHN MCCAIN, R-ARIZ.: Thank you.
HANNITY: Israel’s hit with thousands of rockets. Israel decides to put up a blockade so they can’t send reinforcing weapons to the people that are firing rockets at hospitals and pizza parlors and neighborhoods and schools, et cetera.
Israel has a right to self-defense. Israel warns this vessel not to go in. They’ve allowed humanitarian aid in. Israel protects itself, and Israel gets worldwide condemnation.
I’m trying to sort out the logic here. Maybe you can help me, because I’m frankly not understanding the attack of even our allies in this.
MCCAIN: Well, I think that there is a significant pro-Palestinian sentiment in Europe, particularly amongst President Sarkozy and others and an anti-Israel stance by some of these countries. I don’t know all motives, but some had to do with economic ties to some of these countries.
In addition to what you just said, let me remind you that this Turkish humanitarian relief organization has ties to radical organizations.
As you said — yes, as you said, the — Israel has been shelled from Gaza.
I visited a town in 2008 called Shirut (ph). I mispronounced it. But I visited the town which has been rocketed everyday. Kids have 30 seconds to get to a shelter. And it’s very clear that the Israelis have made every effort, or certainly significant efforts. They offered for these ships to come into an Israeli port, be inspected. And if it was purely humanitarian relief supplies they could go on to Gaza.
Now, Egypt has even been helping Israel try to restrict the flow of arms and ammunition into Gaza, which is run by Hamas, which is dedicated to the extinction of the state of Israel.
Put ourselves in the position of the Israelis if, say, a country on our border were doing the same thing that Hamas is trying to do and has shelled Israel without provocation.
HANNITY: And as Mona Sharon (ph) pointed out in a great column today, in the first three months of this year, 95,000 tons of supplies were transferred to Gaza once they determined that they weren’t arms for reinforcements.
As you point out, Hamas controls Gaza. Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hamas is dedicated in their charter to the destruction of Israel.
So the question is, why did this group purposely provoke this when they were told that they could supply humanitarian needs to people, if only they would allow inspections? Why did they do it?
MCCAIN: Well, I think the answer is obvious. And that is they wanted to provoke an international crisis such as they are provoking. And that this would increase support for the pro-Palestinian cause.
Although, as you know, the organization in charge in the West Bank has a very different attitude towards Israel than Hamas does, which is committed to its extinction.
HANNITY: All right, but —
MCCAIN: So what I think is, they wanted to provoke an international incident.
HANNITY: Well, they did.
MCCAIN: And possibly a crisis to bring more pressure to bear against Israel.
But this is another step in a chain of unfortunate events beginning with President Obama’s insistence that there be a freeze, as a precondition for peace talks, a freeze on settlements in Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, not a settlement.
HANNITY: Senator, more importantly, I’m concerned about the world’s reaction. I’m concerned about the lack of support from the United States of America.
And there seems — here we have 200 countries condemning Israel. But yet, the United Nations still has failed to condemn North Korea for sinking a South Korean ship. So I’m trying to understand where is this administration? This president said, during the campaign — I’m going to roll this tape — the following about his support for Israel.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THEN-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BARACK OBAMA, JUNE 4, 2008: Our alliance is based on shared interests and shared values. Those who threaten Israel threaten us. Israel has always faced these threats on the frontlines. And I will bring to the White House an unshakable commitment to Israel’s security.
Now, let me be clear Israel’s security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HANNITY: A few seconds: Is he living up to that campaign promise, Senator?
MCCAIN: No, of course not. The mistaken belief that pressuring Israel on a settlement freeze would somehow move them closer and show the Arab world that they were putting pressure on Israel has backfired.
Keeping the prime minister of Israel waiting in the White House while he went up to have dinner with his family and then come back down is — well, you can apply your own description to it.
And the fact is that this nation has stood by Israel and now people around the world, including Israel’s enemies, are not so sure.
HANNITY: All right, Senator, thanks for being with us. We appreciate it. We’ll continue to follow the story.
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