Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., accused former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of being “quite dismissive of students’ concerns,” when she ripped anti-Israel student protesters as being ignorant about Middle Eastern affairs.
“They don’t know very much at all about the history of the Middle East, or, frankly, about history in many areas of the world, including our own country,” Clinton said earlier this week.
Specifically, Clinton pointed to an offer her husband, former President Bill Clinton, made to then-Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat when he was in office.
“They don’t know that…an offer was made to Palestinians for a state on 96% of the existing territory occupied by the Palestinians,” Clinton said, “with 4% of Israel to be given to reach 100% of the amount of territory that was hoped for.”
BERLIN, GERMANY – FEBRUARY 19: Hillary Clinton speaks during the “A Special Evening With Hillary Clinton” at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival at Theater des Westens on February 19, 2024 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images) ((Photo by Franziska Krug/Getty Images))
The former Secretary of State said that her claims about students were based on multiple conversations with young people over the past few months. Anti-Israel student protests have broken out at schools across the country following the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel and Israel’s subsequent military response.
Van Hollen appeared on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on Sunday morning, where he was asked about Clinton’s remarks from earlier in the week.
“Well, I thought, Margaret, that Secretary Clinton’s comments, in that regard, were quite dismissive of students’ concerns about the awful humanitarian crisis and high civilian death toll in Gaza,” he said.
Chris Van Hollen spoke to Margaret Brennan on Sunday about the White Houses position on Israel. (Screenshot/CBS)
Van Hollen said Americans have the right to peacefully protest and that there is a need to ensure students feel safe on campus.
He also said there is a need to “stamp out antisemitism and hate” wherever it is seen.
“But I believe that the great majority of the students are protesting, are following very closely what’s happening in Gaza. They see what’s a very high civilian death toll,” Van Hollen said. “We can certainly revisit history and past negotiations, but I believe that the overwhelming majority of students, not all, and…there are some very bad elements that are involved, as well as on the counter protest side, but I believe that the students do understand what’s happening in Gaza with respect to the civilian casualties.”
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY GRADS DISRUPT COMMENCEMENT WITH ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTS
Anti-Israel protesters continue to rally outside of Columbia University in New York City on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Columbia announced earlier today that its campus would remain closed “until circumstances allow otherwise”, after students occupied Hamilton Hall early this morning. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for Fox News Digital)
“I strongly support the right of Americans to peacefully protest, but also the need to make sure that students feel safe on campus,” Van Hollen told Fox News Digital. “There is no place anywhere in America for antisemitism, hate speech, or violence of any kind.”
The Clinton Foundation did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
Hillary Clinton has faced angry students directly, including when she was shouted down by pro-Palestinian protesters during a speech at Columbia University in February.
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“Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton, you are a war criminal!” a man shouted as the former Secretary of State walked onto a lecture hall stage at Columbia University in New York City.
Fox News Digital’s Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.
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