With a strong bipartisan voice, members of Congress have reiterated Israel’s right to self-defense, after a barrage of almost 700 rockets was fired by Gaza-based terrorist groups Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad into Israel since Saturday.
In a joint statement, Reps. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Brad Schneider (D-IL), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) blasted the Iranian-sponsored terrorist groups for their “outrageous, indiscriminate rocket attacks” and stressed that “Israel has a right and responsibility to defend itself and its citizens militarily from further violence.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said in a statement to the Jewish Insider, “Israel has every right to defend herself from indiscriminate rockets attacks, the same right as any other nation. The United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the people of Israel.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) praised the strong partnership between Israel and the United States and said, “Congress, in a bipartisan fashion, stands strongly in support of our ally Israel and its right to protect its citizens from terror.” House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) emphasized that, “The United States will continue to stand with our ally Israel and the Jewish people.”
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), a ranking member on the influential Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, tweeted: “Hamas & Islamic Jihad, recognized terror organizations, are showing the world they remain committed to #Israel’s destruction & the murder of Jews. Israel—and its adversaries—must always know that it will not stand alone. America will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder w/ Israel.”
Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) said, “Targeting innocent civilians with rockets is completely unacceptable,” and urged Congress to “pass security assistance for our ally Israel,” while Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) reiterated her stance that “real peace can only come with a two-state solution,” while stating, “Israel has a right to defend herself.”
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) wrote, “Israel is under attack as Hamas has launched over 600 rockets into Israel, indiscriminately over civilian neighborhoods. No other country has to deal with such a clear and present danger. This is why America stands by Israel and the ability to defend itself.”
Meanwhile, freshman Congresswomen Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) came under fire for criticizing Israel’s measured response to almost uninterrupted rocket fire from Gaza.
“How many more protesters must be shot, rockets must be fired, and little kids must be killed until the endless cycle of violence ends?” Omar asked on Twitter on Sunday evening. “The status quo of occupation and humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unsustainable. Only real justice can bring about security and lasting peace.”
Tlaib slammed a New York Times headline that clarified Israel was defending itself against rocket fire from Gaza. “When will the world stop dehumanizing our Palestinian people who just want to be free?” Tlaib asked. “Headlines like this & framing it in this way just feeds into the continued lack of responsibility on Israel who unjustly oppress & target Palestinian children and families.”
[Photo: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons]