Sen. Van Hollen criticizes Hillary Clinton's remarks on anti-Israel protesters

Van Hollen, a politician from Maryland, said that many students who were protesting had real worries about the war between Israel and Hamas happening far away. He thought that Secretary Clinton's comments were not respectful of the students' concerns about the terrible crisis and high number of civilian deaths in Gaza. Clinton mentioned that she had talked with many young people since the war started after a Hamas attack in October 2023 that killed around 1,200 Israelis. She also talked about her husband's efforts to find a solution for both sides in the 1990s. She said that an offer was made to Palestinians for a state on 96% of the land they wanted, but it was rejected by the Palestinian leader at that time. Hillary Clinton, who is a professor at Columbia University, saw protests and tensions on campus due to the conflict. Van Hollen emphasized the importance of protecting students' rights to speak freely, ensuring their safety, and fighting against hate and antisemitism. He supported President Biden's decision to stop sending bombs to Israel because of concerns about a possible ground attack in Gaza. He mentioned that the U.S. has tried to reduce harm to civilians since World War Two. Van Hollen disagreed with Hillary Clinton's remarks about students not knowing much about the Middle East's history. He felt that her comments were disrespectful towards the students who were protesting against the crisis in Gaza. He believed that most students understood the situation and were protesting for a reason, even though there were some negative incidents reported on college campuses. The conflict between Israel and Hamas started with attacks by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023.