Since the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel in 1948, the United States and Israel have enjoyed a strong and close partnership. In fact, President Harry Truman was the first world leader to recognize Israel as a legitimate Jewish state on May 14, 1948, just 11 minutes after it was established.
Israel is our most important ally in the region, and I am proud to be a strong supporter of it. This week, I’m in Israel with leader Kevin McCarthy and a handful of colleagues for an educational seminar to learn about some of the toughest issues facing Israel and the surrounding region. Israel faces serious challenges such as security threats to its northern and southern borders and the threat of a nuclear Iran, but it also has positive opportunities resulting from recent peace agreements between Israel and several Arab states, as well than the current possibility of peace with the Palestinians.
During our stay, we meet with members of the Israeli Knesset and the Palestinian Authority, US government officials, military leaders, heads of non-governmental organizations, as well as academics and journalists. These meetings give us first-hand insight into Israel’s challenges and opportunities so that we can learn how the United States can better support Israel and work to promote peace in the region.
Israel faces a constant threat from Hamas, Iran and many other malign actors in the region. Hamas, for example, has a history of firing rockets at Israelis (both Jewish and Arab) with the aim of promoting conflict, hatred and violence in deliberate attempts to kill Israeli civilians. This is one of the reasons the United States has remained committed to supporting Israeli defense programs such as the Iron Dome, which protect Israel from these unwarranted attacks.
It’s also critical that we don’t get into another terrible Iran nuclear deal like the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that President Obama got us into (and President Trump later pulled out of). ). That’s why just days ago, I joined 160 of my fellow House Republicans in demanding that the Biden administration hold Iran accountable instead of making a new deal with them. Iran can never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Due to constant terrorist threats from bad actors who wish to wipe Israel off the map, the United States must continue to promote peace in the region. This peace will come only by continuing to support Israel’s security and opposing the aggression of Iran and terrorist groups like Hamas. Israel is a crucial ally in the war on terror and they continually provide us with key intelligence against terrorist activity around the world. A strong and secure Israel is essential to regional and global security, and I will continue to do my utmost to support and defend Israel.