Rep. Estes to Newsmax: Hamas Hostage Situation 'Unfortunate'

Rep. Ron Estes, R-Kan., told Newsmax on Monday that the situation with the more than 240 hostages that Hamas took during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel is "unfortunate," especially given the antisemitism among some government leaders.

"Hamas was indiscriminate in terms of the people they took hostages, and we're seeing now, the consequences of that," Estes said on Newsmax's "National Report." "As you said, it wasn't just Israelis. It was Americans and citizens from other countries as well and just some of the atrocities that they committed while they were there. It's unfortunate that the message hasn't gotten through.

"Maybe it's our education system here in the United States. We need to make sure that we talk about the whole range of the truth and not some of the thought process that people are talking about now in terms of trying to say that Israel should pull back and do a cease-fire when these hostages are still being held, and we just don't know what's being done to them."

The House voted to censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., last week, over comments the progressive lawmaker has made about Israel as it retaliates for the attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas that left more than 1,400 Israelis dead and scores injured and taken hostage.

Tlaib, a Palestinian-American who reportedly has family in the West Bank, was heavily criticized after she failed to immediately condemn Hamas for the brutal attack. The final censure vote was 234-188.

Asked what it's like to serve alongside lawmakers who refuse to hold Hamas responsible for the current situation in the Middle East, Estes said it's "disheartening."

"We always have differences of opinion on different policy and what to do, but it really is disheartening to think there are Americans and people in leadership positions in America who actually won't stand up for American values, won't stand up for democracy around the world, and instead are out actually advocating for the death of a country and supporting groups that actually advocate, not just for Israel, but also talking about death to Americans," Estes said.

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