America’s top general should keep his opinions about Israel’s military strategy private, members of Congress and a Medal of Honor recipient told The Post this week.
Gen. Charles Q. Brown, the recently installed chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said earlier this month that knocking out the terrorist organization would be “a pretty large order,” and that he was “very much” concerned Israel’s war in Gaza would only generate new terrorists among the civilian population.
The comments caused a stir among elected officials, who said it was inappropriate for the general to air such divisions in public.
“If General Brown is worried about how long it may take the Israelis to accomplish this mission, he should advise the president to drop his push for a ceasefire – which would only benefit Hamas – and work to ensure that Israel has the lethal aid it needs to destroy Hamas as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) told The Post.
A four-day ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect Friday after heavy pressure from the United States.
Israel has to be given the space to carry out the mission, said Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY.), a member of the House Foreign Relations Committee.
“As the United States and our allies did with respect to ISIS, Israel must have the latitude needed to eliminate the threat,” Lawler said. “The chairman must recognize his words carry enormous weight in his new role and they undermine Israel, our greatest ally, at the very moment much of the world has turned against them as they defend themselves.”
Brown made his remarks to reporters during a Nov. 9 visit to Tokyo, and showed an early indication of divisions between the Biden administration and Israel over how best to prosecute the Hamas conflict.
“When we talk about time — the faster you can get to a point where you stop the hostilities, you have less strife for the civilian population that turns into someone who now wants to be the next member of Hamas,” he said.
Brown’s statement also drew fire from retired U.S. Army General Patrick Brady, a Medal of Honor recipient who successfully evacuated 51 critically injured men from multiple locations in a single day under enemy fire while serving as a helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War.
“There is no way that we can describe how Israel should do it. They know better than we do how to fight that enemy. We ought to just stand by and support them without quibbling about it and let them do their job,” said Brady.
“There is no such thing as peace with certain kinds of enemies, you just have to kill them. It seems to be like these people.”
Read More:Congressmembers blast joint chiefs chair for Israel remarks
2023-11-25 13:34:00