Gov. Phil Murphy said he is praying “for a peaceful, comprehensive, ultimately that elusive two-state solution” in the Middle East, “where everyone can live peacefully side by side. That cannot in any way, shape, or form include Hamas. Israel has every right to defend itself against Hamas.”

“Hamas perpetrated a barbaric assault,” he said. “We have to call that out explicitly and unequivocally, for the innocent lives lost and killed in Israel. And by the same token, we’re now seeing innocent lives lost on all sides of this.”

Referring to potential tensions in New Jersey over the conflict, Murphy said, “…let’s please hope that cooler heads prevail in New Jersey and elsewhere,” adding, “The good news is, overwhelmingly, members of both the Jewish or Israeli-specific communities and the Palestinian communities in New Jersey are responsible folks … And that’s a good place to start.” Murphy was speaking in a wide-ranging interview with NJ Spotlight News Friday.

Murphy also addressed the upcoming elections in New Jersey and the issues he expects to dominate it amid probable low turnout. “Democrats take these elections for granted at their peril,” he said. “So I want to make sure everybody is out there taking this seriously on the edge of their seat because I think enthusiasm will decide this in a low-turnout election.”

He also spoke about his veto this week of toll hikes proposed by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority and about the potential benefits to New Jersey of his recent trip to East Asia.