Tom Cotton Presses CIA Director To Respond to Protestors During Hearing: ‘Is Israel Exterminating the Palestinian People?’

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) asked CIA Director William J. Burns during a Senate hearing this week to respond to protestors who accused him of “genocide.”

“Some of our audience members accusing you of pretty serious conduct. So, Director Burns, I want to give you a chance to respond to what’s been said. Is Israel exterminating the Palestinian people?” Cotton asked on Monday.

“Senator, all I can say is, you know what I said before, I think there are a lot of innocent civilians in Gaza who are, in desperate conditions right now,” Burns replied, adding:

I think there are hostages and their families who are also in, desperate circumstances as well. And I think I’ve learned a long time ago in crises like this, that you have to find a practical goal and pursue it relentlessly. And the goal the president has laid out working with our Israeli, Qatari, and Egyptian partners, I think is the most practical one I can see right now is to produce, a cease-fire of at least six weeks, produce the return of the hostages, ultimately all of the hostages, and get desperately needed humanitarian relief to people who need it in Gaza.

“So is that a no? You do not believe Israel is exterminating the Palestinian people?” Cotton pressed.

“No, I think, I think Israel’s, I understand Israel’s need and the president has emphasized this to respond to the brutish attack that Israelis suffered on the 7th of October against Hamas, against a terrorist group,” Burns replied, adding:

But I think we all also have to be mindful of the, you know, enormous toll that this has taken on innocent civilians in Gaza. And as the president has said, it’s very important for Israel to be extremely mindful of that and to avoid, you know, further loss of civilian life.

Cotton later in the exchange noted, Israel and you also stand accused of starving the Palestinian children. Are you? Is Israel starving children in Palestine or in Gaza?”

“You know, I think some of the reality is that there are children who are starving,” Burns replied.

“But is Israel doing that?” Cotton pressed.

“They’re starving. They’re malnourished. As a result of the fact that humanity and assistance can’t get to them. It’s very difficult to distribute humanitarian assistance effectively unless you have a cease-fire, which is exactly why, you know, I think there’s great value in what’s on the table now,” Burns replied.

Watch the clip above via C-SPAN.