Vance and Walz spar over Middle East conflicts – Washington Examiner
The recent vice presidential debate between Governor Tim Walz (D-MN) and Senator J.D. Vance (R-OH) focused on escalating tensions in the Middle East, particularly following a significant missile attack by Iran on Israel. Both candidates expressed support for Israel while also addressing the broader conflicts within the region.
In their discussion, Vance emphasized that it is Israel’s prerogative to decide on their defensive actions and affirmed the need for the U.S. to support its ally during times of crisis. Conversely, Walz refrained from clearly endorsing a preemptive strike by Israel against Iran when asked, suggesting that such decisions should be approached with caution.
The candidates also exchanged criticisms, accusing one another’s presidential running mates of worsening the situation in the Middle East. Walz highlighted the importance of strong leadership, contrasting the current political landscape with past leadership, implicitly questioning the effectiveness of older figures in addressing such crises. This debate highlights the intricacies and sensitivities surrounding U.S. foreign policy and its implications for Middle Eastern conflicts.
Vance and Walz spar over Middle East conflicts
Vice presidential candidates Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) and Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) expressed support for Israel but criticized the other side for the tension permeating throughout the Middle East.
Tuesday’s vice presidential debate came just hours after Iran carried out a significant aerial attack on Israel, firing about 200 ballistic missiles from Iranian soil toward Israel. Israel’s air defenses were able to intercept most of the missiles with the help of the U.S. military, and Israel’s leaders have vowed to retaliate.
Walz did not directly answer the first question asked of him by the moderators, which was whether each candidate would support an Israeli preemptive strike on Iran, while Vance countered that he would defer to Israel for how it would respond.
“It is up to Israel what they think they need to do to keep their country safe, and we should support our allies wherever they are when fighting the bad guys,” the Ohio senator said.
The two vice presidential hopefuls accused each other’s running mates of contributing to the factors that led to the crises in the region.
“What’s fundamental here is that steady leadership is going to matter. It’s clear, and the world saw it on that debate stage a few weeks ago. A nearly 80-year-old Donald Trump talking about crowd sizes is not what we need in this moment,” the Minnesota governor stated.
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In response, Vance argued, “Gov. Walz, you blame Donald Trump. Who has been the vice president for the last 3 1/2 years? And the answer is your running mate, not mine. Donald Trump consistently made the world more secure.”
The tension in the Middle East right now originated a year ago, with Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and about 250 were kidnapped. Israel has since come under attack from several of Iran’s proxy groups over the last year and has escalated its conflict with Hezbollah this month.
Former President Donald Trump also criticized the Biden administration following Iran’s attack.
“The two incompetent people running our country — I don’t actually think they’re even running it — are leading us to the brink of WWIII and a war like no other. This is what the policies of weakness and appeasement have brought to the world,” Trump said, in reference to President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
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