U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) made a stop in Lynchburg on Monday to talk with voters at La Vida Coffee and Market, between visits to Roanoke and Farmville.
A former Virginia governor and mayor of Richmond, Kaine was first elected to the Senate in 2012 and is seeking a third term this November.
“...[I]t’s just good to gather, tell people why I’m running again and how excited I am to keep representing Virginia but also take their questions and take their advice,” Kaine told reporters after the event.
The Israel-Hamas war was a popular topic during a question-and-answer portion of the event, sponsored by the Lynchburg Democratic Committee. Voters asked about Palestinian casualties, and about conditions on U.S. aid to Israel. On Saturday, the House of Representatives approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies, sending the bipartisan legislation to the Senate.
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On Oct. 7 of last year, Palestinian terror group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing roughly 1,200 civilians and taking more than 200 hostages. An estimated 33,000 people, largely Palestinians, have been killed in the Israeli offensive of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip.
Iran launched its first direct military attack against Israel on April 13, firing more than 100 bomb-carrying drones toward Israel, according to the Israeli military.
“Being on the armed services and foreign relations committee, the situation is absolutely heartbreaking and we need to protect Israel’s right to defend itself; we also need to protect innocent civilians who aren’t part of Hamas, who don’t mean harm to Israel and so we’re trying to balance those things," Kaine said.
“The key now has to be — and this was especially clear in the aftermath of the Iranian attack on Israel two Saturdays ago — provide Israel with the tools to defend it, but then find a hostage release deal and a ceasefire so that we can get more humanitarian aid to Gazans and then have a discussion about the long term future of Palestine.”
In November, Kaine will face the winner of the June 18 Republican Senate primary. Five candidates are currently running: Hung Cao, Jonathan Emord, Eddie Garcia, Scott Parkinson and Chuck Smith.
Emma Martin, (434) 385-5556