The United States is doing the "right thing" with its veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, as stopping the war at this point is not possible because Hamas must be eliminated, Israeli government spokesperson Tal Heinrich told Newsmax Sunday.
"We are very grateful for the United States for doing the right thing, and it's not only because you are Israel's best friends — and you are," Heinrich said on Newsmax's "Sunday Agenda." "It's because the good people of this country are good people of conscience. They know how to tell right from wrong and good from evil, and they know that Israel is fighting pure evil called Hamas."
The Hamas death squads, when raiding Israel on Oct. 7, "raped; they butchered; they mutilated; they burned entire families," Heinrich added. "A cease-fire would mean giving immunity to these terrorists, giving them immunity because of their double war crimes and the fact that they're embedding themselves in and underneath civilian structures and inside urban areas."
And, she said, "If 40,000 Americans would have been murdered on the same day by bloodthirsty terrorists, I would not want to live in a world that ties America's hands. I would have been terrified."
That means that it's important that Israel sends an "unequivocal message" to Hamas, and it also pertains to the Western world and the civilized world, said Heinrich.
"If the civilized world doesn't send a very strong message against terrorism, if they call on restraint to contain Israel, if they call for a so-called cease-fire that will leave our hostages in Gaza and give impunity to these terrorists, what does it mean?" she asked. "It means that there's a window of opportunity for terrorists around the world to cause more bloodshed and more trouble if the civilized world blames itself and contains itself for their bloodthirsty actions. That's insanity."
Meanwhile, concerns are growing about civilians being killed in Gaza, but Heinrich said Hamas "openly" says it wants to sacrifice Palestinians in Gaza "for their sick goal of obliterating the Jewish state as it stands," said Heinrich.
"They also said that they would commit the Oct. 7 massacre for a second or third or fourth time now," she said. "Every civilian casualty is a major tragedy. We don't want to see any civilian casualties.
"The Israel Defense Forces are [making] maximum efforts to minimize civilian casualties, minimize civilian suffering, while Hamas is doing everything possible to maximize them. They need it for their propaganda."
Meanwhile, U.S. interests are being attacked; and Heinrich said it's important to know that the groups responsible are "all Iran's proxies."
"Hamas is 93% funded by Iran," she said. "Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the second largest terrorist group in Gaza, just the same. ... This is why I say that it's very important that we send an unequivocal message against terrorism because they're all watching and taking notes right now, so we have to hit them hard. In Hebrew, we have a saying that goes 'Whoever shows mercy to the cruel will eventually be cruel to the merciful.'"
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
- Find Newsmax channel in your home via cable and satellite systems – More Info Here
- Watch Newsmax+ on your home TV app or smartphone and watch it anywhere! Try it for FREE -- See More Here: NewsmaxPlus.com
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.