By Rep. Adrian Smith
One year has passed since the tragic massacre of Israelis by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The brutal terror attack took the lives of more than 1,100 civilians and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages, taken by Hamas into Gaza. The most recent reports indicate seven American citizens are among those taken hostage who remain unrecovered.
Over the last year, Israeli defense forces seeking to free the hostages and bring perpetrators to justice have fought Hamas militants in Gaza. More recently, frequent attacks from Lebanon-based Hezbollah militants and a large-scale ballistic missile barrage launched by Iran have increased pressure on security in Israel. Iran has long been the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, funneling significant resources to terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Iran’s unjustified missile attack on Israel shows the failure of the Biden-Harris foreign policy of empty words. Rhetoric from both President Biden and Vice President Harris has warned Iran against escalating the conflict by saying simply “don’t” in public interviews. At the same time, the administration has perpetuated a policy of attempting to address Iran’s aggression through appeasement which began with an ill-conceived 2015 agreement with Iran, brokered under the Obama administration This agreement, which faced bipartisan opposition in congress, removed punishing sanctions on Iran in exchange for a toothless commitment not to continue developing nuclear weapons.
Mirroring the Obama administration’s delivery of a $400 million cash payment to Iran in exchange for the release of wrongfully imprisoned Americans, in August 2023, the Biden-Harris administration attempted to make $6 billion available to the Iranian regime in exchange for Americans held captive. Just two months later, Iran-backed Hamas shattered the region’s peace and normalcy by perpetrating the largest terror attack in Israel’s modern history.
Rogue states can’t be told “don’t” without meaningful consequences to back it up. Lifting sanctions and releasing cash for political prisoners have emboldened an evil regime, putting our greatest ally in the Middle East in the crosshairs. While neither of Iran’s missile barrages directed at Israel succeeded in causing much damage or Israeli casualties, these unprecedented direct attacks from Iranian soil leave all of the nearly ten million Israelis under constant threat of attack. Israel deserves our full support as they assess the damage and defend themselves in the future.
Because of the importance of our partnership with Israel, I cosponsored the Israel Security Assistance Support Act and applauded its passage in the House on May 16, 2024. This bill affirms the United States’ strong support of our ally Israel by strengthening our commitment to provide defense resources in their time of need. With the country facing unprecedented threats, Israel’s right to self-defense must be respected and reinforced. Hesitancy by the Biden-Harris administration to deliver aid and firmly back efforts necessary for Israel to secure its homeland is a failure of leadership and will always fall short of securing peace.
Weakness is a dead end in foreign policy. We must show hostile regimes we will not be manipulated and reassert American leadership in our world by restoring our commitment to peace through strength. We must pursue foreign policy which holds Iran accountable and prioritizes our own national security and the regional security for our allies. Standing with Israel is the right thing to do. Iran and its terrorist proxies have sworn to wipe Israel out of existence and in the same breath proclaimed, “Death to America.” I will continue to support Israel’s efforts to defend its people and commonsense foreign policy which stands up for American lives and rejects unwise postures of appeasement.