Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin on October 26, 2023 (Philip Yabut/Shutterstock.com)
Trump loyalist Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) went on "Fox & Friends" Thursday where, according to Mediate, he "dumped on the Israel-Hamas deal being promoted by President Donald Trump."
The deal, which includes an agreement between both parties and includes the return of all Israeli hostages taken during the October 7 attack, was the product of "negotiating with terrorists," Van Orden told host Brian Kilmeade.
Kilmeade asked Van Orden about prominent Palestinian prisoner Marwan Barghouti, jailed in 2002 for planning attacks that killed five civilians during the Second Palestinian Intifada. CNN said Barghouti's release "could be a red line for Israel."
"The Israelis are reluctant to let him out. Do you have a sense of of what we should do or what they should do there?" Kilmeade asked.
Van Orden replied, "I think what the Israeli government needs to do is make sure that the members of Hamas adhere to these provisions. It’s pretty simple. So the amount of people that the Israelis are going to have to release to get their hostages back is just remarkable. And this is their decision–"
Kilmeade interjected with the number of prisoners expected to be released at "1,975, including 250 on death row," to which Van Orden balked.
"That’s correct. And Brian, honestly, I disagree with this strategy, but this is the Israeli government’s decision to get their people back. I am not a fan of negotiating with terrorists. These people are terrorists. That’s who they are yesterday. That’s who they are going to be today and tomorrow. So the Israeli government collectively has made a decision to give their people backing. I can respect that, but I respectfully disagree with it," he said.