U.S. Senators Defend Israel, Dismiss Congressional Pressure as Press Access Is Blocked During Gaza War
February 7, 2026
“ISRAEL IS OUR FRIEND.”
Shelley Moore Capito and Tim Kaine defend Israel while accountability is pushed aside.
As Israel blocks the press and continues the war in Gaza, U.S. senators close ranks dismissing congressional pressure as noise.
Friendship, apparently, means:
no questions.
no red lines.
no consequences.
WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?
#Gaza #PressFreedom #USPolitics #freepalestine #fyp
English Script:
Julian Andreone: Hey Senator, Julian Andreone, Drop Site news. Do you think that Israel should be allowing journalists into Gaza? It’s been two years and we’ve seen 260 Palestinian journalists killed. No American or British or any other journalist in Gaza. There are no journalists in Gaza? No, they haven’t let any yet.
Shelly Moore Capito: Yeah. I’m obviously not aware of that. I mean, I think transparency is the best. So I’ll leave it at that.
Julian Andreone: Yeah. I mean, it’s a key constitutional ideal. But we continue to fund that government that won’t let journalists in. I mean, it’s that sort of a contradiction that you see?
Shelly Moore Capito: I think the whole situation, what’s going on in Gaza and the existence of Hamas is very troubling, and it’s still there. So I’m going to let them handle that situation.
Julian Andreone: Is there some sort of action that Congress can take, though? Because it’s one thing to say it’s troubling, but it’s another to try and stop it.
Shelly Moore Capito: Congressional action, no.
Julian Andreone: What about all the funding that we send to that government?
Shelly Moore Capito: Israel is our friend.
Julian Andreone: Are they treating us like a friend, though? There’s no conditions on the aid, and they continue to…
Shelly Moore Capito: Yeah.
Unknown woman: That’s it, thank you.
Julian Andreone: Hey there, Senator Kaine. How are you doing? Julian Andreone, drop site news. Yeah. Just wanted to ask you if you think that Israel should be letting foreign journalists. And by foreign, I mean outside of Gaza, into Gaza. It’s been two years, you say?
Yes, I do. Yeah, I think that’s very important.
Julian Andreone: They’ve also killed 260 Palestinian journalists, and some senators have been telling me they’re Hamas, but there’s no evidence of that. What do you think of those journalists?
Tim Kaine: I do not know that statistic. But to your first question, I strongly believe journalists should have access to Gaza.
Julian Andreone: And there are still people dying over there. I mean, is there anything that Congress is doing to try to rein in some of the brutality that we’re seeing from the Israeli government? A number of things, yeah, a number of things, both in Gaza and in the West Bank, yes.
Tim Kaine: What are those things?
Julian Andreone: Basically we are, you know, looking very carefully at arms transfers issues in a way that we hadn’t in the past and that we need to, I have supported restrictions on some of the arms transfers that are being used for offensive rather than defensive purposes, but we do not yet have a majority in the Senate or House that support the offensive defensive line demarcation.
Tim Kaine: And 94% of members of Congress, sitting members of Congress, have taken money from some sort of pro-Israel lobby or donor. Do you think that that’s somewhat concerning in terms of the policy towards a foreign government?
Tim Kaine: First, the way you phrased the question is inaccurate. We don’t take money from people.
Julian Andreone: Donations to the campaigns.
Tim Kaine: Yeah, your campaign donation is very different than somebody taking money. And I think you need to be really careful about saying people are taking money.
Julian Andreone: Okay, then donations to the campaigns, does that not influence policy at all? The campaign donations?
Tim Kaine: I don’t think so.
Julian Andreone: You don’t?
Tim Kaine: Yeah.
Julian Andreone: Okay. So are they just giving that money out of the kindness of their heart? Well, are they not expecting return on investment?
Tim Kaine: I will give you an example.
Julian Andreone: Yeah.
Tim Kaine: Senate campaign 2024. I probably had somewhere, like, 75,000 donors. And so, you know, I don’t know why 75,000 people contributed. Right? And I don’t have the opportunity to ask what 75,000 people expect. And, you know, what I do is I try to just vote the way I think my conscience and my constituents, as they inform me, want me to vote.
Julian Andreone: But on their end, are they not expecting a return on investment?
Tim Kaine: You should ask them. Okay.
Julian Andreone: Right. You should ask them.
