Did Elizabeth Warren just carelessly make a major foreign policy promise?

Elizabeth Warren.
(Image credit: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) might have stumbled into agreeing to what would be considered a major foreign policy pronouncement.

During a campaign stop in New Hampshire, Warren was approached by two members of IfNotNow, an American Jewish progressive activist group opposing Israel's occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. An interesting exchange followed in which Warren answered in the affirmative when asked, if elected president, whether she would pressure Israel to end the occupation.

Whether Warren was intentional in her commitment or was being a tad careless during a busy campaign stop is unclear, but IfNotNow considers it signed, sealed, and delivered.

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Warren's stance on the Israel-Palestine conflict has evolved over the years. In 2012, she said she would work as a senator to "ensure Israel's security and success." Two years later, Warren defended a senate vote to increase military aid to Israel during the war on Gaza. More recently, though, Warren has called for Israeli restraint in response to Palestinian protests and opposed a proposal to criminalize boycotting Israel.

Still, neither of the latter stances are equivalent to what she said in New Hampshire. Neither Warren or her campaign have addressed the exchange.

Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.