While criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi claimed this week that she had “protected” Palestinians from the FBI in her San Francisco home area.
“I have a lot of Palestinians in my district, and I’ve protected them from the FBI going to Arabic bookstores, I’ve protected them after 9/11 to bring them together, we all were in the streets against the Muslim ban,” Pelosi told Sky News, according to The Independent.
She also declared that she “had it” with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “years ago,” saying he hasn’t been attempting to make peace, and that she admires Israeli President Isaac Herzog “the most.”
“I saw President Herzog here, and I said, ‘How’s it going?'” stated Pelosi. “We just need to finish a few things, and then we’ll be there,” he stated. His nice nature gave me encouragement. He is not Netanyahu.
Pelosi expressed confidence in the impending end of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
“I always say everything is an opportunity, and maybe it’ll be an opportunity for Israel to see this disfavor that many in the world had as to how they conducted themselves after Oct. 7 and will strive maybe for a two-state solution,” she stated.
Pelosi expressed her “great sadness” over the collateral damage in Gaza but acknowledged that Israel has a right to self-defense in the wake of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack and to prevent it from happening in the future.
“So many people killed; so many innocent people, children, and families,” she continued. “They weren’t combatants or anything, but they were collateral damage.”
Pelosi also supported the administration of President Joe Biden for not pressuring Israel to halt its strikes in Gaza while still providing military assistance to that country.
“I think our administration, from what I can see, has been very clear in their message to Israel in terms of respecting the lives of all of those people, also, to try to discourage them from what might come next in attack,” she continued. “Israel is their own country, and they do what they do.”