What the world witnessed on October 7, 2023, is best described as a modern-day pogrom. Hamas brutally slaughtered innocent men, women, and children because of who they are.
The carnage unleashed by Hamas killed over 1,300 people. To put this into perspective, the number of innocent people massacred by Iran’s terrorist’s proxy is the equivalent of 40,000 Americans. This evil also took more than 200 hostages to Gaza, including Americans.
Hamas is pure evil and serves one master, Iran. Iran is the puppet master leading the disruption we have witnessed in the region since October 7th. Iran is funding this carnage in hopes that a propaganda campaign, portraying Israel as the villain, will win the day. There are members of Congress falling for Iran’s propaganda operation. Iran’s propaganda operation can’t change the fact Hamas started this war with its brutal and inhuman attacks on innocent Israelis with the financial backing of the Iranian regime.
Why would Iran unleash its terrorist forces Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in the north? Israel recently celebrated its 75th anniversary. Israel is here to stay. Israel wants to live in peace, and during the past 75 years has made peace with Egypt and Jordan. Israeli leaders, in good faith, have proposed multiple peace deals with the Palestinians only to have the leaders of the Palestinian people continually walk away from the negotiating table.
The Abraham Accords showed the world Israel wants peace. With the Palestinians withdrawing from the peace process, Israel turned to other countries in the region to make peace deals. Israel now has normalization agreements with Bahrain, Morocco, and the United Arab Emirates. The people-to-people connections being made between Israelis and their partners in the Abraham Accords are benefitting all partners and will make it harder for these partners to go to war against each other.
Iran saw that Israel and Saudi Arabia were months away from announcing their own Abraham Accords normalization deal. The deal between the Israelis and the Saudis would be historic. Saudi Arabia is home to Mecca and Medina. A Saudi normalization deal with the Jewish State would start a domino effect where other Arab and Islamic nations would follow the lead of the Saudis to seek their own Abraham Accords deal with Israel. Iran’s terrorist proxy Hamas launched its brutal act on October 7th to put a stop to a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
I have travelled to Israel twice. Each time, I leave amazed at how welcoming Israel is and how resilient its people are in the face of danger. I have been to Kfar Azza, the site of one of the horrible massacres of children and families. This community was home to peaceful loving people who wanted nothing but to be good neighbors. Now, Kfar Azza lies in ruins scarred by the blood of innocent victims. Hamas beheaded babies in this community. Everyone should be appalled at the brutality Hamas unleashed against innocent Israelis.
We must stand with Israel. Israel has the right to defend itself from Hamas and other forces of evil. Israel is being attacked and terrorized because of who they are. Israelis want to live in peace. Peace is not possible when Iranian-backed terrorist proxies seek the destruction of Israel. Hamas started this war with Israel. Israel will do what is necessary to protect its people from barbaric attacks, like the one the world witnessed on October 7th. Israel didn’t want this war but this freedom loving nation will be victorious in the fight against evil.
The world was horrified when we learned about the Holocaust. All around the world people said never again. Never again means never again. Never again is now.
Vice President, Seen Read Heard
