Blinken: I warned Netanyahu Israel could lose young Republicans and evangelicals

Former US secretary of state Antony Blinken said Sunday that he warned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Gaza war that Israel risked losing support among young Republicans and young evangelicals, alongside its mounting difficulties within the Democratic Party. Speaking at the Jewish Federations of North America's General Assembly in Washington, Blinken recalled a conversation with Netanyahu in the spring of 2024 about the political consequences of the war. Blinken said the image of Israel had changed profoundly between generations, from David facing Goliath to a perception that had reversed for the generation now coming to the fore. He described the shift as a strategic challenge for Israeli leaders. Blinken also criticized Israel's treatment of Palestinian civilians, saying it had done the bare minimum it believed necessary for people caught in the fighting. Pompeo defended Israel's conduct and warned against moral equivalence between Israel and Hamas. The two former secretaries differed over Iran policy and the role of Palestinian statehood in expanding the Abraham Accords.