SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO/AP) — Amidst the war in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress on Wednesday. KELOLAND News spoke with South Dakota Sen. Mike Rounds about what he thought of Netanyahu’s remarks.
“I think he tried to make it a bipartisan message, thanking America for our continued support of Israel,” Rounds said. “He identified multiple times in which we were together defending democracy. He identified Iran as the main culprit standing behind a number of different terrorist organizations.”
Overall, Rounds says the American alliance with Israel must persist.
“We should stand with them in this hour of need,” Rounds said. “We should provide them with the weapons systems, and to get this over as quickly as possible and get rid of the human suffering that is occurring in this area, this war-torn area of Gaza as soon as possible.”
KELOLAND News asked Rounds about the Palestinian death toll, which as of late April included more than 12,000 women and children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. In response, Rounds cited Netanyahu’s pledge that Israel is seeking to avoid civilian deaths.
