Krystal Ball Clashes With Elissa Slotkin Over Israel Aid in Tense Interview
Krystal Ball and Saagar Enjeti, the hosts of Breaking Points, clashed with Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) over U.S. aid to Israel in a tense interview on Tuesday.
Ball and Enjeti grilled the senator over records showing she received 2022 election cycle donations from AIPAC and other pro-Israel groups.
“You have got to get your facts straight,” Slotkin said. “I have not been endorsed by AIPAC.”
They went on to question Slotkin over her voting record, with Ball claiming she “backed Israel at almost every turn,” and asking her not to “play powerless.”
Slotkin, who has noted before that being from a purple state “requires her to be more than just an AOC,” said she would consider supporting an offensive weapons ban to Israel, but wouldn’t consider a defensive ban.
Read a transcript of a snippet of the conversation below and watch above via Breaking Points on YouTube.
KRYSTAL BALL: You’ve voted for some of the aid that’s been used to massacre children and innocents. You have backed Israel, as far as I can tell from your voting record, at almost every turn. You voted for a definition of anti-Semitism that would codify anti-Zionism as anti-Semitism. You voted as a member of the House to sanction the ICC for indicting Benjamin Netanyahu, who you just admitted is a war criminal, by your own words. So, are you going to join Senator Angus King and Senator Bernie Sanders in saying no more aid to this country that is committing war crimes against innocent civilians?
ELISSA SLOTKIN: I think the first thing, if you’re asking about what to do with power, I would offer that right now, Democrats own nothing in Washington.
KRYSTAL BALL: Don’t play powerless with me. You’re a United States Senator. There are things you can do.
ELISSA SLOTKIN: In terms of who runs our foreign policy, I just think it’s interesting that there were a ton of protests when Democrats were in charge…
KRYSTAL BALL: There was a protest in Manhattan yesterday.
ELISSA SLOTKIN: Okay. I think it’s fair to say, just to be honest. But back and forth, the number of protests that go on now versus before…
SAAGAR ENJETI: Well, they were part of your political coalition.
ELISSA SLOTKIN: That’s fair.
KRYSTAL BALL: I was very upset over the Biden administration policy, and as you can tell, I’m very upset over the Trump administration policy. So let’s deal not in straw man but in…
ELISSA SLOTKIN: Okay, but the tools that I have, the tools that we have in general… to me, the most important thing is a pressurized campaign to get aid into people who are starving. That, to me, is the number one. That’s the one that is urgent and today.
KRYSTAL BALL: But will you cut off aid to Israel so long as they’re committing crimes against humanity?
ELISSA SLOTKIN: There is a difference between a weapon to protect a country from incoming missiles versus other types. Offensive and defensive weapons are different.
SAAGAR ENJETI: So would you supoort an offensive weapons ban? Would you stop any offensive aid to Israel?
ELISSA SLOTKIN: That certainly, to me, would be a place to look, but I’m not gonna cut off a blanket next sale on a defensive weapon that comes through.
KRYSTAL BALL: I also reject that because, for example, if you were asked to support defensive weapons for Iran, defensive weapons for Russia, you wouldn’t back that.
ELISSA SLOTKIN: No but…
KRYSTAL BALL: They’re defensive. They’re just protecting civilians, right? So how is it different?
ELISSA SLOTKIN: Because Israel is being shot at.
KRYSTAL BALL: So is Iran. So is Russia.
SAAGAR ENJETI: Ukraine is shooting at Russia right now.
ELISSA SLOTKIN: I’m sorry, this is the difference between allies, partners, and adversaries.
Watch the clip above.
