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Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates says many campus protesters “don’t know much that history” from Middle East
Washington — Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates said a lot of the young people protesting the Israel-Hamas war on college campuses “don’t know much of that history” of the region as American universities in recent weeks have become the center of opposition to the war’s toll on Palestinians in Gaza.
“What has gone on, transpired between Israel and the Palestinians going back decades is very complex, very difficult,” Gates said on “Face the Nation.” “And I think a lot of the young demonstrators don’t know much of that history.”
As protests at college campuses have cropped up throughout the country in recent weeks, some of which have featured antisemitic rhetoric that has prompted concerns about the safety of Jewish students on campuses, Gates said universities — balancing free speech considerations with the protections of all students — have enforced their rules regarding demonstrations inconsistently.
“So I think where you’ve seen success in managing the protests and where the protests have not been disruptive, even though the students are making their points, are in those universities where the rules have been consistently applied and consistently enforced,” he said.
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On the dynamics in the region more broadly and their implications for American security, Gates, who served as the Secretary of Defense between 2006 and 2011 under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, noted that there are four wars going on in the Middle East at present. He pointed to the war in Gaza, between Israel and Hezbollah, the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Syria and Iraq, saying Iran is the “one power behind all four of these conflicts.”
“We become so preoccupied with Gaza, what we’ve failed to talk sufficiently about is how do we deal with an Iran that is basically the one providing the arms, the planning and the intelligence in all four of these conflicts, and that Iran is the source of the problem,” Gates said. “How do we deal with that? That’s the real issue, it seems to me that’s being missed.”
Meanwhile, Gates said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has “essentially ignored” U.S. views and requests, including related to humanitarian aid, as the war in Gaza goes on. Referring to President Biden’s recent decision to withhold some specific armaments to Israel, Gates said that “when our allies ignore us, and particularly on issues that are of huge importance to us and to the region, then I think it’s reasonable to take actions that try to get their attention.”
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A food company known for popular grocery store condiments has recalled a package of tortilla strips that may be contaminated with wheat, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The product is meant to be gluten-free.
Sugar Foods, a manufacturing and distribution corporation focused mainly on various toppings, artificial sweeteners and snacks, issued the recall for the “Santa Fe Style” version of tortilla strips sold by the brand Fresh Gourmet.
“People who have a wheat allergy or severe sensitivity to wheat run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume the product,” said Sugar Foods in an announcement posted by the FDA.
Packages of these tortilla strips with an expiration date as late as June 20, 2025, could contain undeclared wheat, meaning the allergen is not listed as an ingredient on the label. The Fresh Gourmet product is marketed as gluten-free.
Sugar Foods said a customer informed the company on Nov. 19 that packages of the tortilla strips actually contained crispy onions, another Fresh Gourmet product normally sold in a similar container. The brand’s crispy onion product does contain wheat, and that allergen is noted on the label.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration
No illnesses tied to the packaging mistake have been reported, according to the announcement from Sugar Foods. However, the company is still recalling the tortilla strips as a precaution. The contamination issue may have affected products distributed between Sept. 30 and Nov. 11 in 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
Sugar Foods has advised anyone with questions about the recall to contact the company’s consumer care department by email or phone.
CBS News reached out to Sugar Foods for more information but did not receive an immediate reply.
This is the latest in a series of food product recalls affected because of contamination issues, although the others involved harmful bacteria. Some recent, high-profile incidents include an E. coli outbreak from organic carrots that killed at least one person in California, and a listeria outbreak that left an infant dead in California and nine people hospitalized across four different states, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The E. coli outbreak is linked to multiple different food brands while the listeria outbreak stemmed from a line of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products sold by Yu-Shang Foods.
