Pete Hegseth hearing: Trump nominee supports Israel 'killing every last member of Hamas'


Ellie Sennett
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Pete Hegseth, president-elect Donald Trump's nominee to be defence secretary, told senators on Tuesday that he supports Israel “killing every last member of Hamas”, during a contentious confirmation hearing that focused on his past conduct.

At least three pro-ceasefire demonstrators were arrested for disrupting the hearing, calling Mr Hegseth a “Christian Zionist” who supports the war in Gaza.

“I'm a Christian, and I robustly support the state of Israel and its existential defence,” he told the Senate armed services committee. “I support Israel destroying and killing every last member of Hamas.”

Mr Hegseth, a former Fox television personality with no previous experience in government, is one of the most contentious of Mr Trump's nominations.

Two of the top Democrats on the committee grilled Mr Hegseth on his support for the 2019 pardoning of US veterans convicted of war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr Hegseth said he wants to ensure “lawyers aren't the ones getting in the way” of US fighters' mission to “destroy” the enemy, and sidestepped questions on whether the US would abide by international laws on torture.

“We are going to unleash war fighters to win wars … we fight enemies that play by no rules … we follow rules, but we don't need burdensome rules of engagement that make it impossible for us to win these wars,” he told the committee, adding that the Geneva Conventions are “incredibly important”.

The sentiment builds on growing hostility between a Republican-controlled Washington and international courts, as the party moves to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court for its pursuit of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on allegations of war crimes committed in Gaza.

Mr Trump's team recently joined ceasefire negotiations in Qatar, and the president-elect has warned Hamas that there will be “hell to pay” if it does not free the remaining hostages before his inauguration next week.

Mr Hegseth, 44, has in recent weeks visited senators on Capitol Hill in a bid to ease concerns over his nomination, including over a 2017 sexual assault allegation that did not result in any charges and in which he denies any wrongdoing.

Josephine Guilbeau, a former US Army intelligence officer, and Greg Stoker, a former US Army ranger, were among the protesters arrested at the start of Mr Hegseth's hearing.

Ms Guilbeau told The National that she felt like she “looked crazy doing it”, but felt compelled after a year's worth of emails, calls and other lobbying to push Washington to stop its support of Israel.

“I haven't looked away, not one day. I know exactly what has been happening and [politicians] refuse to acknowledge the truth, and they're dragging our country down,” she said.

Protester Greg Stoker is carried out by Capitol Police officers as Pete Hegseth testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate armed services committee. AFP.
Protester Greg Stoker is carried out by Capitol Police officers as Pete Hegseth testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate armed services committee. AFP.

Republicans, who now control Congress, seemed to be strong in their backing of Mr Hegseth.

Supporters described Mr Hegseth's ascension to leading the largest employer in the US as a necessary shake-up to a troubled department. Committee chairman Roger Wicker said Mr Hegseth “is an excellent choice to improve this unacceptable status quo” at the Pentagon.

Mr Hegseth promised that under the new Trump administration, the Pentagon would be “laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, war fighting, accountability”.

“Back to lethality” was a mantra repeated frequently by Mr Hegseth and his supporters – a rallying cry for conservative claims that the US military has embraced a “woke agenda” at the expense of strategic readiness.

He said his service as a combat veteran gives him a unique advantage, despite not having “a similar biography to defence secretaries of the last 30 years”.

Republican Congressman Mike Waltz, Mr Trump's national security adviser, celebrated that Mr Hegseth would be the first Pentagon chief “to have served as a junior officer on the front lines” since September 11, 2001.

“He recognises the human costs, the financial costs, and the policy drip that was discussed often in this very room that led us to decades and decades of war,” said Mr Waltz.

Many veterans turned out in support for Mr Hegseth on Tuesday, including Stuart Schiller, a former Marine Corps lieutenant colonel who says the Pentagon needs “an outside-establishment pick”.

“He represents a generation that knows there needs to be change,” Mr Schiller told The National from the hearing room. He wants the Biden administration to face accountability for the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, and added that it “shook our faith in our senior leaders … not only did that shake our adversaries into thinking we're weak, that's why you see a lot of global unrest”.

But not all veterans in attendance were supportive of the Trump nominee. Ms Guilbeau and Mr Stoker were mainly protesting against US legislators, but say they have concerns about Mr Hegseth, too.

Mr Stoker spoke out against Mr Hegseth saying the decline in military recruitment was caused by diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and not because younger Americans “just watched us millennials sacrifice our youth and bury our friends for the sake of imperialist lies for 20 years, what did we get out of it? Nothing”.

“I see Pete Hegseth as an accelerant to make things worse faster. But again, there's really no way out of recruiting crisis unless you fix the economic issues,” he added.

Ms Guilbeau said she “was a little bit optimistic during Trump's campaign in hoping that at the very least he would be more of the anti-war candidate … but I'm starting to have second thoughts about that,” given Mr Trump's imperialist rhetoric on Greenland and Panama.

Mr Hegseth settled the sexual assault claim in 2017 but has also faced accusations of alcohol abuse and drunkenly proclaiming, “Kill all Muslims”. He also has repeatedly stated women should not serve in combat roles.

Democratic Senator Jack Reed told Mr Hegseth he does “not believe that you are qualified to meet the overwhelming demands of this job”.

Armed services committee Democrats also complained that Mr Hegseth did not visit them before the hearing. Mr Hegseth met only Mr Reed, the party's ranking member, before Tuesday's confirmation hearing.

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French business

France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.

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Where to donate in the UAE

The Emirates Charity Portal

You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments

The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.

Al Noor Special Needs Centre

You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.

Beit Al Khair Society

Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.

Dar Al Ber Society

Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.

Dubai Cares

Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.

Emirates Airline Foundation

Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Analysis

Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more

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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
While you're here
While you're here
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

Updated: January 15, 2025, 6:17 AM