Standing Up for Israel After Terrorist Attacks by Hamas
Just this week, the Pentagon confirmed over seventy (70) drones were launched by Houthi rebels off Yemen’s coast in the Red Sea at United States warships. We see Israel renewing a military campaign to destroy Hamas after more Hamas rockets were launched at Israeli homes and Hamas stopped the release of ten (10) hostages per day. This certainly calls on peace through strength.
The recent October 7th terrorist attack on our democratic ally, the State of Israel, has once again brought that part of the world into direct focus. While it is difficult to comprehend the scope of the attack and how the attack and war affect families, children, soldiers and neighbors, we must stand with the people of Israel. It has always been relatively easy to sort out who in the Washington political community was a friend of Israel and who only tentatively recognized Israel a useful ally because of a need for campaign contributions or votes. Platitudes are no longer sufficient. Direct involvement and action by our elected officials are critical to ensure the sovereignty of Israel, the protection of the Jewish state, and potentially world peace.
Sadly, what has also become crystal clear is that some extreme members of Congress are virulently antisemitic and desire to see Israel erased from their maps, as Iran has already done in their schools. The genocidal rant of “from the river to the sea” sadly proclaims their hatred of a sovereign country and desire to eradicate the Jewish people. I would proudly support their censure and removal from Congress when elected as your representative. What is clear is that ever since the United Nations declared Israel an independent country in 1947 (72% of the members voting for its establishment), the United States has been its chief supporter, because of our common values and history. That support must continue without exception.
A little bit of history is critical to understand my position. From a religious perspective, both the Torah / Old Testament (Joshua 1:24 and Genesis chapter 17) as well as the Koran (“Sura Al-Ma’idah” 5:20-21) all clearly proclaim that the land of Canaan (known in recent centuries as Palestine) is the designated homeland for a regathered Israel. That establishment occurred by UN declaration on NOV 29, 1947, with Israel being admitted to the UN as a full member on May 11, 1948. Despite these religious mandates, the United Nations has become increasingly anti- Israel (the only Jewish state), at the insistence of 47 Muslim states. United Nations support for a Palestinian Homeland has raised the persistent cry for a two state solution with Palestinians from dozens of countries occupying the Gaza strip with its neighbor Israel on the other side of a thin wire fence. Israel accommodated such a demand by withdrawing all Israelis from Gaza years ago, turning over to the Palestinians hundreds of buildings and associated public infrastructure, building hospitals and utility services, and donating billions of dollars to support and grow the Palestinian infrastructure.
It has become clear, however, with constant terrorist attacks across, through, and under that fence, that the Hamas government elected to a Palestinian leadership role since 2005 in Gaza has used such funds not to benefit the Palestinian people but to create a sophisticated vicious terrorist regime dedicated to nothing less than the destruction of the Jewish state. When someone says they desire to kill you and eliminate you from existence, we should probably believe them. I do. Because of international coercion, Israel has been forced to agree to such a two state solution, with Israel and Palestine having designated lands, political autonomy, and separate governments, a solution fostered by three American administrations over the years, but each has met with abject failure. A few such failed efforts have included:
1993 Oslo Accords; 2000 Camp David Summit; Taba Negotiations in 2001;
2002 Arab proposed Peace Initiative; and 2013-14 peace talks
Each has resulted in diplomatic failures, increased kinetic activity, and occasionally war. What is clear is that an independent Palestinian state that is a perpetual existential threat to Israel living next door is untenable. The United States would not tolerate a Canada or Mexico on our borders that continuously rockets our cities and homes, kidnaps and murders our citizens, burns down our homes, and stages persistent attacks into our cities. Israel should not be expected to do so either. A two state solution should not be raised again as a possibility until the terrorist organization Hamas is eradicated, the hostages they are holding are returned without further harm, a stable peace returns to Gaza, a new Palestinian government can be established that recognizes Israel’s permanent right to existence, and the United Nations is willing to station a multi-national peace keeping force throughout the Gaza strip. Only then can Israel safely withdraw all of its military forces. If the UN wants to demand peace in that disputed land they should be part of it.
The goal of all of my actions, once the current hostilities come to a peaceful conclusion, will be to support a lasting peace between Israel and peace-loving Palestinians and their neighbors. While such is my under-lying motivation, some actions to secure such a peace must be put on hold until Israel is capable of eliminating the current threats emanating from Hamas-controlled and Iran-directed terrorists in Gaza. Given that history and the current political, military, and economic realities in the region, I stand for the following actions.
1. All US actions of financial benefit to Iran must end immediately. We must cut off allaccess to existing funds and ensure they cannot further profit from the sale of oil and liquid natural gas (LNG) to China, Russia, or even to the EU. Everything possible must be done to ensure that Iran never gains the technology to develop a nuclear weapon. Their rhetoric is clear that they want to eliminate Israel from the face of the earth and destroy the USA as well. We need to stop funding their terrorist activities.
2. The USA should stake out a clear position in the United Nations that their vehement attacks on Israel and most recent economic and military boycotts in an effort to isolate Israel must end. Unless the current UN efforts to destroy Israel’s sovereignty and right to self-defense end, the US should withhold ALL future funding for that biased world body. That Iran is on the UN Human Rights Council, while at the same time sponsoring terrorist activities worldwide, is incomprehensible. Total withdrawal from that world body, should they fail to listen, should not be taken off the table.
3. We must enthusiastically support the Israeli Normalization Act of 2021 that brings together the common interests of Morocco, Bahrain, UAE, Sudan, and other players in the area. What has become clear to all in the know is that the Oct 7 attacks on Israel—their 9-11—were designed by Iran to cripple recent efforts by moderate Arab states to begin a reproachment with Israel. Saudi Arabia in particular—beginning with the Abraham Accords—is desirous of normalizing relations with Israel and other Middle Eastern neighbors. Iran could not tolerate such a normalization to occur and fostered the current scenario that encourages Arab nations to censure Israeli actions toward Palestine. The more Palestinians and other “innocents” that can be killed by Israel’s actions to remove Hamas as a threat, the more Iran can stir up Arab anger against them. Not harming innocents in their foray into Gaza is at the top of every current Israeli battle plan while Hamas takes every effort possible to create and publicize as many civilian casualties and deaths as possible.
4. Once all hostages are returned to their respective countries (40 countries to date), all the layers of tactical tunnels that Hamas has developed under schools, hospitals, orphanages, mosques, and private homes must be destroyed. Some are seven stories deep and supported by steel girders and walls and are large enough for motorcycles and golf carts to travel through. Tunnels should be bored from the Mediterranean Sea into such tunnel complexes to flood them permanently, thereby preventing further offensive actions or raids into Israel.
5. With the unexpected rise of vehement anti-Israel sentiment, indeed blatant antisemitism, in this country, particularly on college campuses, it is more than ever critical to know where your representatives stand. I am unapologetically a supporter of the need for the protection of an independent democratic state of Israel and can be counted on to argue for continuous funding and research for their Iron Dome air defense system.
6. I fully support the Raytheon/Israel joint venture in Arkansas to manufacture advanced Tamir missiles for the Iron Dome Weapon System. Should such an opportunity exist for Indiana to be a similar development and production site, I would be a strong supporter of such an effort.
7. Our current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) providing $3.3 billion annually in security assistance for Israel may have to be increased, and I will work with my colleagues in the House to provide whatever Israel needs, both economically and militarily for its future protection. Our continual support is critical for their ability to prevent and repel attacks from any nation that seeks to destroy Israel as a nation, kill Jews, and further destabilize their volatile Middle east neighborhood.
8. I will encourage our administration, regardless of which party is in control, to consider revoking the visas of any and all persons in this country who voice violent, antisemitic rhetoric or who are arrested in such demonstrations advocating violence toward Jews. Such violence and rhetoric have sadly enveloped several of our college campuses, and I will act to remove federal funding from any college or university that fails to take action to curtail such rhetoric or allow violence against Jewish students, Palestinian students or organizations. Freedom of speech cannot allow such continuous threats to individuals or organizations backing an independent Israel.
9. On a more general level, I support this country’s continuous efforts to maintain robust bilateral assistance to Israel, increased intelligence sharing, joint military exercises, the development of cutting-edge defense technologies to address mutual security concerns, increased cultural and academic exchanges that include academics from Israel, Palestine, and surrounding Arab countries. University City in Qatar is one location that could be used to host such academic exchanges. Another possible location would be the prestigious King Saud University in Riyadh. I would work to help Israelis and Saudis to lead such an effort.
10. Perhaps most important in the near term is to speak with candor and ethical clarity, both as an individual Representative from Indiana as well as with other respected colleagues in Congress about these issues. The current Speaker of the House shares my values, and I would work with him and any future Speaker to assist our ally Israel in reclaiming peace in a troubled neighborhood.
11. I would look to put together a government working group comprised of respected senior academicians and university presidents from universities that have not experienced virulent anti-Israel demonstrations (Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, University of Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Duke University, and Purdue come to mind) to have them investigate how such entrenched antisemitic cultures have developed. Such cultures have developed over time and cannot be quickly addressed, but we must first of all understand the forces at work in the teaching faculties and college organizations and how to counter such forces of evil. I would suggest Condoleezza Rice from Stanford University and / or Mitch Daniels from Purdue University to head up such a working group. Both are individuals with federal government experience, prestigious academic credentials, the respect of their peers, and exceptional ethical clarity.
None of the efforts I have suggested will be easy. I am the right person with broad international, legal, and ethical bona fide organizational acumen, and team building expertise to build bridges and strike partnerships with others to bring these efforts to fruition. I ask for your assistance and support so that I can work on these difficult issues.
Photo Credit: Rikitza on DeviantArt