The metric for State Department policy is what is in the best interest of the American people and what keeps the American people safer and more secure, spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Monday when asked if calls from protestors are taken into consideration when developing policy.
Patel said people are allowed to disagree, as it's a free country, and they have the First Amendment right to express their point of view.
"In our point of view, more humanitarian aid is good for the United States. The defeat of Hamas is good for the United States, ensuring that Gaza can no longer be a springboard for terrorism is also good for the United States, and a two-state solution that brings about greater peace, and stability, and integration in the Middle East region is also good for the United States," Patel said.
"We are pursuing these policies because we believe they are in the interest of the American people," he added.
Patel said the Department continues to press for protests to remain peaceful and be nonviolent.