The Hon. Chris Coons on U.S. Diplomatic Strength | 2024 Concordia Annual Summit

Summary

In this discussion, Senator Chris Coons covers a range of global and political issues, focusing on the Middle East conflict, Israel's relations with Iran and Lebanon, and U.S. foreign policy under President Biden. He discusses the implications of domestic Israeli politics, Biden's efforts toward peace in Gaza, and the future of U.S. policy depending on the upcoming election. The conversation also touches on U.S.-China relations, the Quad alliance, and Ukraine's resilience against Russia. Coons concludes on a hopeful note about bipartisan efforts in conservation and environmental security.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Senator Chris Coons discusses the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, highlighting Iran's involvement in funding and equipping Hamas and other groups.
• 🇮🇱 The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon poses a significant threat, with Hezbollah having a larger and more precise missile arsenal compared to Hamas.
• 🇮🇷 Iran directly attacked Israel with drones and missiles, though American-Israeli coordination prevented significant damage.
• 🕊️ The Abraham Accords and efforts toward Israeli-Saudi normalization are seen as potential paths to regional stability, though progress is hampered by Israeli domestic politics.
• 🇺🇸 US domestic politics, including the upcoming presidential election, could significantly impact foreign policy, particularly regarding Israel and Ukraine.
• 🇵🇸 The Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains unresolved, with ongoing disputes about Palestinian self-governance and a two-state solution.
• 🇺🇦 Ukraine’s war with Russia continues, with significant strategic wins in the Black Sea but ongoing challenges at the front lines.
• 🛡️ Bipartisan support in Congress is seen as essential to maintaining US aid to Ukraine and standing against Russian aggression.
• 🌍 Senator Coons expresses optimism about the bipartisan conservation efforts aimed at addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 On a personal note, Senator Coons shares that his children give him a sense of optimism about the future.

Q & A

What did Senator Chris Coons say about the root cause of the conflict between Israel and Hamas?

Senator Chris Coons stated that the conflict is driven by Iran, which has been a principal supporter, funding, and equipping Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq.

How has the United States responded to the October 7th attacks according to the senator?

According to Senator Coons, President Biden responded quickly and strongly by deploying military assets to the region and warning Iran not to escalate the situation into a wider war.

What is Hezbollah’s role in the conflict as mentioned in the script?

Hezbollah has been involved throughout the conflict, firing rockets into Israel, and its missile arsenal is more advanced and precise than those of Hamas or the Houthis, making the situation on Israel's northern border increasingly concerning.

What did Senator Coons say about Israeli domestic politics impacting peace efforts?

Senator Coons emphasized that Israeli domestic politics, especially the influence of extremist elements in Netanyahu's governing coalition, complicates efforts for peace, including a two-state solution and a ceasefire.

How does the senator view the relationship between the U.S. and Israel in terms of security?

Senator Coons believes that the United States is a critical security partner for Israel, as shown by coordinated efforts to defend against attacks, and hopes for continued cooperation, though challenged by Israeli political decisions.

What role does the senator believe Congress plays in U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East?

Senator Coons highlighted that Congress plays a crucial role in shaping U.S. foreign policy and is an important entity, particularly as the world anticipates the outcome of the U.S. presidential election.

What did Senator Coons mention about the U.S. presidential election and its significance?

Senator Coons mentioned that the U.S. presidential election will greatly influence U.S. foreign policy, particularly in areas like the Middle East and Ukraine, and predicted a close race with Kamala Harris as the likely winner.

What are Senator Coons' thoughts on Kamala Harris and Tim Walz as the Democratic nominees?

Senator Coons praised Vice President Kamala Harris for her experience and leadership and called Tim Walz, her running mate, a capable leader from the heartland of America with deep public service experience.

What did Senator Coons say about the importance of the Quad alliance?

Senator Coons discussed the significance of the Quad alliance between the U.S., India, Australia, and Japan, emphasizing President Biden’s success in strengthening this partnership through personal diplomacy and shared democratic values.

What is Senator Coons' stance on the Ukraine conflict?

Senator Coons expressed admiration for Ukraine’s resilience in the face of Russian aggression, urging continued U.S. support through military aid, economic assistance, and international partnerships to ensure Ukraine's sovereignty.

Outlines

00:00

🎭 Discussion on Middle East Conflict and Iran's Role

The speaker opens by acknowledging Senator Chris Coons and introduces a conversation on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, touching on Iran's involvement in funding and supporting various militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas. The discussion highlights President Biden's prompt response to the conflict and ongoing efforts to avoid a wider war involving Iran.

05:00

🚀 Hezbollah's Role in the Regional Conflict

Senator Coons explains Hezbollah’s significant military capabilities and its involvement in the ongoing conflict on Israel's northern border. He discusses recent escalations and the potential for a larger regional conflict involving Israel and Lebanon, driven by both internal and external forces in the Middle East.

10:02

⚖️ Israeli Politics and the Two-State Solution

The conversation shifts to the internal dynamics of Israeli politics, focusing on how Prime Minister Netanyahu's fragile political coalition with extremist factions complicates efforts toward peace. Domestic politics are identified as a barrier to achieving a two-state solution, which is supported by the U.S. but opposed by key figures in Netanyahu's government.

15:03

🗳️ U.S. Domestic Politics and the Global Impact

The discussion explores how the upcoming U.S. elections could influence global affairs, particularly in the Middle East. Senator Coons discusses the potential outcomes of the race and the role Vice President Harris may play in shaping U.S. foreign policy, along with the importance of Congress in decision-making.

🤝 President Biden's Diplomatic Efforts with the Quad

Senator Coons reflects on President Biden’s hosting of the Quad leaders (India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S.) at his residence, emphasizing the importance of personal diplomacy in fostering international partnerships. The announcement of the cancer moonshot initiative in the Pacific Islands was one significant outcome of the meeting.

🌍 U.S.-China Relations and Regional Security

The conversation touches on U.S.-China relations, highlighting President Biden's strategic diplomacy in the Asia-Pacific region. Senator Coons mentions Biden's summits with Japan and South Korea, as well as his personal engagement in improving ties with the Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

🇺🇦 Ukraine's Resilience and Global Alliances

The focus shifts to the Ukraine conflict, with Senator Coons praising Ukraine’s determination in its fight against Russia. He highlights the significance of U.S. and allied support in terms of technology, military aid, and economic assistance, underscoring the Biden administration’s diplomatic success in rallying global allies.

🌱 Bipartisan Conservation Initiative

To conclude, Senator Coons shares his optimism about a bipartisan bill aimed at addressing biodiversity loss and climate change through a public-private partnership. The initiative, which has already seen significant progress, is designed to invest billions over the next decade to support conservation efforts globally.

Keywords

💡Middle East conflict

The discussion focuses on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, specifically the war between Israel and Hamas. The speaker highlights how this conflict has escalated, involving Lebanon and other regional players like Hezbollah, indicating the broader geopolitical stakes and the potential for a wider war.

💡Iran

Iran is portrayed as a key actor in the Middle Eastern conflicts, accused of funding, training, and equipping groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. The video underscores Iran's role in escalating regional tensions, including direct attacks on Israel.

💡Hezbollah

Hezbollah is a Lebanese militant group supported by Iran, mentioned in the context of firing rockets into Israel. Its involvement in the conflict is seen as a major threat due to its extensive missile arsenal, and its actions are contributing to the growing regional instability.

💡President Biden

The U.S. president is depicted as playing a central role in responding to the Middle East conflict, deploying military assets and warning Iran against expanding the war. His administration's efforts are also highlighted in the context of securing a hostage ceasefire deal and promoting peace.

💡Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political decisions are a topic of discussion, particularly his reliance on a coalition that includes extremist factions. This has complicated peace efforts, as his domestic politics are influencing decisions regarding ceasefires and the two-state solution.

💡Two-state solution

The concept of a two-state solution—where both Israelis and Palestinians would have their own sovereign states—is highlighted as a widely supported but increasingly difficult goal due to Israeli domestic politics and the complex situation in the West Bank.

💡Abraham Accords

The Abraham Accords are agreements that normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations, initially brokered by the Trump administration. The video discusses ongoing efforts to expand these accords, with a particular focus on Saudi-Israeli normalization and its importance for regional stability.

💡Ukraine conflict

The Ukraine war is mentioned as another key geopolitical issue. The speaker highlights the importance of continued U.S. and allied support for Ukraine and suggests that Russian President Vladimir Putin is waiting to see the outcome of the U.S. election before deciding on further actions.

💡Vice President Kamala Harris

Harris is described as the current Democratic nominee for the U.S. presidency, having stepped into the role after President Biden’s decision to step aside. Her performance, particularly in debates and her foreign policy positions, is portrayed as a key factor in the upcoming election.

💡China and the Quad

The Quad is an alliance between the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia, discussed as a significant aspect of U.S. foreign policy in countering China's influence. President Biden’s leadership in strengthening this alliance is seen as crucial to maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Highlights

Introduction of U.S. Senator Chris Coons as a leading mind in foreign policy.

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated tensions in the Middle East, with concerns about its spread to Lebanon.

Iran's involvement in supporting groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis is highlighted as a key driver of regional instability.

President Biden's response to the conflict is noted, particularly his efforts to prevent Iran from using the situation to launch a wider war.

Concerns about Hezbollah's missile capabilities and the conflict on the Israeli-Lebanese border are raised as particularly dangerous.

The importance of U.S. diplomatic efforts, especially in building alliances and pursuing a hostage-for-ceasefire deal, is emphasized.

Saudi-Israeli normalization talks and the unresolved issue of Palestinian self-governance are mentioned as crucial for regional stability.

Israeli domestic politics, especially the role of extremists in Netanyahu's coalition, are complicating peace efforts.

The world is closely watching the U.S. election, as its outcome will shape future U.S. foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Vice President Kamala Harris is predicted to win the upcoming presidential election by a narrow margin, according to Senator Coons.

The Quad alliance between the U.S., India, Australia, and Japan is discussed as a significant part of President Biden's foreign policy.

President Biden's personal diplomacy with global leaders and his focus on shared values among democracies are highlighted as key strategies.

The importance of U.S. alliances, particularly in countering Russia and supporting Ukraine, is emphasized as a cornerstone of Biden's approach.

Senator Coons expresses optimism about bipartisan efforts to address global issues like biodiversity loss and climate change.

A bipartisan conservation bill is highlighted as a key initiative that could have a significant impact on environmental and security issues worldwide.

Transcripts

[Music]

I love these tables this is new for

looks like a little dinner theater

doesn't it yeah are we doing a little

rou team yeah we are singing you're up

first um well listen uh it's an honor to

be here with Senator Chris Coons uh I

will take precisely 10 seconds to

introduce him as a US senator from

Delaware one of the finest Minds in

foreign policy in this country uh a very

close uh Ally of the current president

and and an allaround great person um

with that we have 15 minutes want to get

into it um I want to ask you uh a timely

question about um yeah you're

not inside joke um about what's going on

in the Middle East uh the wars between

uh the Israelis and Hamas uh seems to be

spreading as we speak to Lebanon um it

seems to be at least to my view the most

dangerous time since October 7th for a

wider conflict maybe it is even a wider

Conflict at this point yes what uh what

can you Enlighten us with well first

it's worth always reminding ourselves

that this conflict began with Iran and

Iran has been a principal driver uh of

funding and training and equipping Hamas

Hezbollah the houis um militias in Iraq

uh and President Biden responded

promptly strongly to the October 7th

attacks uh deployed American Military

assets to the region made it clear to

Iran that they should not take this

opportunity to launch a wider war and

nearly a year later the conflict grinds

on in Gaza at enormous human cost no one

has worked harder for or or put more

effort into um President Biden and his

senior team trying to secure a hostage

for ceasefire deal and the consequences

for the people of Gaza uh for the

standing of Israel uh and for security

in the region have been very very

difficult as I suspect everyone here

knows um there's been conflict with

Hezbollah the whole time they've been

firing rockets in the Israelis have been

responding and it's gone up and down

Hezbollah has a dramatically larger and

more precise and more capable missile

Arsenal than either the houis or Hamas

uh and so some of the recent

developments uh in the northern border

of Israel Southern border of Lebanon are

very concerning um Almos Hawkin has been

very engaged pulled off a remarkable

feat in delineating the boundary between

Israel and Lebanon and we thought had

gotten to a place of constructive uh

relationship building um but there there

are drivers um in both countries that

seem to be gradually accelerating the

potential for real conflict and a

regional configration this is something

President Biden and his senior team are

personally quite Eng actively engaged in

and is that re does that

Regional configration include

Iran quite possibly I'll remind you uh

for the first time ever Iran directly

attacked Israel now months ago launching

roughly 300 drones and missiles uh none

of which effectively struck population

centers in Israel in no small part

because of American coordination uh with

our regional partners and allies um in

my view that should have been enough a

demonstration to prime minister

Netanyahu that the United States is a

critical security partner uh there's

been a lot of work done to try and build

the next stage of the Abraham Accords uh

which were achieved under the previous

president under President Trump uh and

to get Saudi Israeli normalization done

the key piece of that deal left undone

is any path towards Palestinian

self-governance um prime minister

Muhammad bin Salman or MBS has recently

said that he will move forward with that

if there is a Palestinian state with

East Jerusalem as its capital um this is

the prize for regional stability and

security a group a bipartisan group of

10 Senators that I was a part of went to

the region soon after October 7th to

meet with CC in Cairo MBS in Riyad and

the whole leadership of the senior

Israeli team including the prime

minister in Tel Aviv I continue to hope

and believe that this is possible but

Decisions by Netanyahu and his

government particularly in the West Bank

have made it harder and harder it

remains elusive but it is something that

I think is in the security interest of

the region literally what would be a

dozen State solution yeah just one one

more question on this topic at the risk

of being a bit controversial what role

do you think is domestic Israeli

politics play in the lack of a deal huge

um look prime minister Netanyahu is in a

very uh tenuous political position his

governing Coalition relies on F I view

as extremists smotrich and Ben gavier uh

and their views and their actions are in

direct conflict with um a widely held

American view not just by me not just by

our president but a long-standing

bipartisan commitment to a two-state

solution which they oppose and they have

threatened to bring down the Netanyahu

government if he moves forward uh with a

hostage ceasefire deal on reasonable

terms and those domestic politics have

been right complicating yeah and it

seems to a certain extent

that the world is waiting for the US

election um in many different areas in

lots of areas in in Ukraine um which

I'll ask you about in a minute um but

also in the Middle East um because who

whoever wins that election is going to

dictate the future of US policy to put

it simply so there there is a role for

this other entity called Congress yes of

course uh very important entity um so to

sort of switch gears and and talk about

us politics for a second obviously it's

been a momentous summer uh Joe Biden is

no longer the nominee of the party uh

the vice president is um you are known

and have been a a staunch friend and

supporter of Joe Buton you come from the

same state you um thank you yeah I got a

golf clap you

know but thank you yeah um tell us how

you see the race today and I'm not going

to ask you who's going to win because

you don't know and I don't know and no

one knows but uh what do you think is

you know the like likeliest outcome as

of this minute today as of this minute

KLA Harris will win the presidential

election but it will be achingly thin

and every poll suggests that every one

of the key seven states is within the

margin of error which means really

either candidate could win um I think

KLA Harris vice president Harris with

whom I served in the Senate on the

Judiciary Committee with whom I've

worked uh in her role as vice president

uh gave a remarkable demanding speech at

our convention I think our convention in

Chicago I'm speaking now as a Democrat

went as well as it possibly could have I

think President Biden got the respect

and the thanks that he richly deserved

for doing an almost unprecedented thing

in National politics to step aside um

from not just the power of the

presidency but being our nominee um and

recognizing the capabilities and the

strength and the global experience of

our vice president she chose a

remarkable running mate in Tim wals who

I think reinforces do you know him I do

I one of those

coincidences um I was a County elected

official for a decade and a Blue Earth

County Commissioner U from Mano

Minnesota called me whatever it was 20

years ago or 14 16 years ago and said

there's this great guy here in Mano I

want you to give a contribution to his

first campaign I like I look forward to

meeting him it was Tim walz uh and uh as

head of the governor's Association I've

interacted with him recently I did not

expect he would suddenly be our nominee

for vice president but he's very capable

well- grounded represents I think the

best of Public Service in the United

States uh as a sergeant in the National

Guard my father was a sergeant in the

first infantry as a high school football

coach as someone who is every bit from

the heartland of America um but has also

been a congressman and a governor uh and

led a state that is um going through the

same sorts of challenges in terms of

manufacturing and um being part of our

industrial Heartland that lots of the

country lots of the states that are at

the core of our country Michigan

Wisconsin Pennsylvania and will be

outcome determinative for our election

also face so I think he has a good

grounding in those he's also been to

China many times and I think has a

cleare eyed sense of the challenges uh

and the opportunities in the US China

relationship so uh we have just a few

days left until our election early

voting has already started in several

States um and you know frankly I've been

campaigning all over the country mostly

in Pennsylvania

given both its proximity and its

centrality uh and I think the

presidential debate was striking uh I

think vice president Harris did a

remarkable job was cleare eyed firm

about foreign policy about domestic

policy and about values got it um you

mentioned China I want to sort of draw

your uh attention back to something that

happened this weekend uh this past

weekend in your home state yes which is

uh there was a meeting hosted by

President Biden of the Quad leaders

that's India Australia the United States

and um

Japan

Japan uh

and it's an important Alliance that

President Biden has really um you know

made a Center Point center point of his

foreign policy um what did you see come

out of that was it important that he

hosted it at his house and you know all

of that so uh President Biden hosted in

his home each of these three prime

ministers which we were talking about

backstage is a an important part of

global diplomacy not just the official

and the formal but the personal uh and

and having relationships built on

personal relationships as well as shared

values as Nations these three great

democracies he has um pulled them from a

concept to an actual uh partnership and

one of the deliverables was the

announcement of a cancer moonshot to

combat cervical cancer in the Pacific

island nations um one of the most

preventable forms of cancer uh I'm quite

familiar with a great work that a doctor

friend of mine has been doing in Kenya

in preventing cervical cancer through

vaccinations through um uh testing and

um early awareness um but I think this

is just an inspiring way for our

president to build on his cancer

moonshot initiative um I also recently

traveled to Japan and South Korea

President Biden's Summit at Camp David

uh with prime minister kashida and

president Yun went a long way towards

pulling these close treaty allies of the

United States into a more meaningful

partnership over coming the Deep

historic animosity between South Korea

and Japan is a critical strategic step

forward I also several months ago

traveled on a bipartisan delegation that

went to Taiwan and to Singapore and I

went to the Philippines and Indonesia

our relationship with the Philippines

has steadily improved our relationship

with Vietnam has steadily improved with

Indonesia has steadily improved

President Biden and vice president

Harris have visited the region

repeatedly have invested in personal

diplomacy their Vision that our nation

is safer and stronger in a world knit

together by shared values I believe in

deeply and I think has been proven out

by events in the world um our former

president's view that America should go

go It Alone that America First really

means putting American interest first

and putting the interests of our

partners and allies to the side I

disagree with I understand and respect

that the former president was really

making a point of making our NATO allies

uh step up to meet their financial

commitments but NATO is not a a

protection racket uh and his comments

that uh if they don't pay up he'll let

Russia do whatever the hell they want

with our allies should shock anyone who

understands the foundation of respect uh

and treaties and alliances around the

world and that we only have a few

minutes so that gives us a nice segue

into the Ukraine situation um you know I

think I mean my personal view is that uh

President Putin is waiting to see what

happens in the election absolutely um

has been for a while and that'll

determine his next steps but not knowing

what's going to happen there although

you said the vice president's going to

win as of today uh what do you think I

mean maybe you can talk about the

incursion that they made into Russian

territory which is incredible first time

Russia's been invaded since 1943 I think

I mean and the the specific site of K

which was the site of the largest tank

battle in human history uh was an

interesting point just historically as

well as geogra submarine that sank in

2000 so yes

um so a couple of things uh look the

ukrainians continue to show uh agility

determination uh ferity in their fight

for their sovereignty and their

independence um few predicted that they

would survive the first few days or

weeks of Russia's full scale invasion in

early 2022 yet they have um they

achieved a significant strategic success

uh in the Black Sea and pushing the

Russian Black Sea Fleet back around

Crimea and opening up an export Lane for

um their grain which is critical to

revive and sustain their economy the

incursion into KK which has taken a

decent amount of territory was a way to

to show some capacity to counterpunch

still the the front lines in the south

and east are under enormous pressure

from the Russians um we need to step

forward and we need to step forward we

need to continue what has been a

masterful job by the Biden Harris

Administration to pull together 50

allies which include Korea and Japan um

to provide support for the government of

Ukraine economically for Ukrainian

refugees throughout Europe and the world

and more than anything to provide

technology material encouragement and

support president zilinski will be

meeting with President Biden soon um I

believe is here today um and is

presenting a path forward towards

Victory um in my view this will impact

how the world sees the willingness of

democracies to stand up and to fight um

for a world that respects boundaries uh

and a world that refuses to go back to

great power spheres of influence and

conflict as Putin would have us do so I

always like to end these discussions on

which are pretty depressing at times on

something positive for everyone so what

is something that makes you optimistic

uh in the morning um either in you know

in any aspect of your life in foreign

policy and politics well I saw my son

for lunch yesterday and my youngest

child late last night my children give

me a sense of optimism but I'll conclude

on a substantive policy matter um I've

been working very closely with Lindsey

Graham senator from South Carolina uh

and with Mike McCall republican from

Austin Texas uh chair and ranking on the

relevant committees U for foreign

relations and Appropriations on a

bipartisan conservation Foundation Bill

we've already appropriated $100 million

for it we've already got the bill

through the two relevant authorizing

committees it would build a new

institution um public private

partnership that would invest something

like2 to3 billion dollar over the next

decade in fighting biodiversity loss in

fighting climate change in improving

Security in conserved spaces in national

parks and in protected areas of

indigenous communities um around the

world it will be a modest contribution

relative to the scale of the challenge

but it's bipartisan by Camal and I'm

confident it's going to move forward and

when I talk to my kids that's what I

talk about go thank you Senator very

much for joining us

than

[Music]