In a blunt WABC Radio interview, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed Israel’s war aims, warned against Hamas’s survival, and confirmed the Biden administration is weighing terror designations for the Muslim Brotherhood and CAIR.
In a hard-hitting appearance on WABC Radio’s “Sid & Friends in the Morning” Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tackled domestic terrorism concerns, the Gaza war, and Europe’s mounting political pressure — delivering unequivocal backing for Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas.
Pressed by host Sid Rosenberg on why the U.S. has yet to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as terrorist organizations, Rubio confirmed such moves are “in the works.”
“Obviously there are different branches of the Muslim Brotherhood, so you’d have to designate each one of them,” he explained, cautioning that such classifications face complex legal hurdles. “You have to show your work like a math problem when you go before court. All you need is one federal judge willing to issue a nationwide injunction.”
Rubio said the administration is “constantly reviewing” organizations that support terrorism or are themselves terrorist entities.
Turning to the war in Gaza, Rubio was crystal clear: “The war ends the day Hamas stops existing as a military threat. That’s the bottom line people don’t understand.”
He accused the international community of pivoting too quickly from the October 7 Hamas atrocities to the humanitarian crisis, insisting Hamas bears full responsibility for both. “They have held captive the 2 million people that live in Gaza. That’s their human shield.”
Rubio underscored the suffering of Israeli hostages — “20 living human beings in deep suffering underneath tunnels” — and argued that peace is unattainable while Hamas governs Gaza. “The sooner people grasp that, the sooner they understand what the objective has to be here.”
On European threats of diplomatic repercussions, including from France, the UK, and Ireland, Rubio was dismissive. “It’s symbolic… It’s going to be decided on the ground, not by some UN resolution.” He argued that removing terrorist governance from Palestinian territories is the only viable path to stability: “As long as people govern these spaces who are going to attack Israel, you are not going to have peace.”
The interview offered one of Rubio’s most uncompromising outlines yet of Washington’s alignment with Israel’s war goals, coupled with a willingness to confront Islamist organizations at home — a stance likely to inflame both domestic debate and international diplomacy.
