Senator Ricketts’ Weekly Column: Standing With Israel

This week marks one year since Hamas terrorists unleashed a barbaric, unprovoked attack against Israel. We must not forget the atrocities committed on October 7th, 2023. Hamas terrorists raped women and kidnapped over 200 people. 1,195 innocents were brutally murdered, including 40 American citizens. One year later, nearly 100 hostages have yet to be returned. This includes seven Americans. Some of these hostages have likely already been murdered as well. We must stand with Israel as it confronts and destroys such evil.

Sadly, Hamas is just one of the Islamic terrorist groups hell-bent on destroying Israel. Since Hamas’ October 7th attack, Hezbollah has also continued to fire rockets into Israel forcing Israelis to flee their homes. Hezbollah is a Lebanon-based terror group who, like Hamas, is funded by Iran. However, Israel isn’t their only target. We must remember that Iran and its proxies don’t just chant “Death to Israel.” They chant “Death to America” as well. Remember, Americans were murdered and taken hostage by Hamas on October 7th. Before that, Hezbollah murdered 241 U.S. servicemembers in a truck bomb attack in Beirut in 1983. It was the deadliest single-day death toll for the U.S. Marines since World War II. During the 2000s, it was Hezbollah who armed and trained Shia militia groups that attacked American servicemembers in Iraq. And most recently, we’ve seen Iran launch direct attacks on Israel.

Hamas, Hezbollah, and all Iran’s proxies must be defeated. To do so, we must stand with our strongest and closest ally in the Middle East: Israel. It’s in our mutual interest to provide Israel with the support it needs to defeat Hamas and Hezbollah and free the remaining hostages. And yet, despite promising our relationship with Israel would be “ironclad,” the Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly failed to stand unequivocally with Israel.

Biden and Harris gave $730 million to UNRWA, which has been described as “effectively a branch of Hamas.” As a result, American tax dollars funded Hamas’s terrorism. The administration has also given over $50 billion in sanctions relief to Iran. That’s $50 billion more that Iran was then able to spend supporting its terrorist proxies like Hamas and Hezbollah. Unfortunately, the administration’s failures don’t end there. In the months after the October 7th attack, Biden and Harris have pressured Israel towards a ceasefire instead of victory. A ceasefire without victory only enables the barbaric terrorists that have promised more terror attacks like October 7th. Biden and Harris have also repeatedly withheld or delayed critical shipments of weapons Israel needs to defeat Hamas.

Their actions have fallen short of standing with Israel. Unfortunately, so have their words. Frequently, President Biden has failed to send a clear message of support to our ally. For example, earlier this year, Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh was brought to justice for his many crimes. When asked about it afterward, President Biden said the death of this terrorist leader “doesn’t help” the prospects for peace. The death of one of Hezbollah’s founders, Hassan Nasrallah, should have been welcomed news to the American government given his group’s role in the 1983 murders of 241 Americans. Instead, Biden responded that his “aim is to de-escalate.” On other occasions, senior Democrat leadership has even attacked the legitimacy of Israel’s democratically elected leadership. These actions and statements are not “ironclad” support for our greatest ally in the Middle East. They’re more of the same Biden-Harris appeasement-first foreign policy. This policy has consistently failed to keep Americans safe. It shows weakness that just invites more aggression from terrorists and other adversaries.

Nebraskans stand with Israel. I proudly stand with Israel. America must continue supporting Israel until it completes its mission to free every hostage and defeat Hamas and Hezbollah. Most importantly, America must return to a foreign policy that maintains peace through strength not appeasement. That’s the best outcome for Israelis, Palestinians, and the entire world.