Promoting American interests

The heinous attack on Israel by Hamas this month sent shockwaves throughout the Middle East and across the world. War in one part of the world has a ripple effect — we all feel its impact. In this case, the United States is especially affected. Hamas killed American citizens in its assaults on innocent people across Israel. It is holding American citizens hostage underground in Gaza. Hamas has American blood on its hands.

The United States and Israel have always been bound by shared values and strategic interests. We are now further bound by shared tragedy. This is why our government must act — not just to protect Israeli interests, but to promote American interests.

It’s critical that we return every American stranded in Israel or being held hostage in Gaza. Every American must be accounted for and safely brought home. This should be top priority for the administration.

Our action in support of Israel won’t only protect American citizens — it will also buttress our national defense. Standing with Israel involves countering Iran, a regime that openly supports terrorist organizations by providing them with resources and funding.

We must act to show terrorist groups, and their state sponsor Iran, that we will not abide the slaughter and kidnapping of Americans. We must gather all of our economic and diplomatic strength to send a powerful message to Iran.

Iran wants to see Israel destroyed by terror. Beyond that, it wants to see the United States destroyed. The regime’s proxy forces continue to attack our military forces regularly in Iraq and Syria. The risks are too great to allow Iran to accelerate this conflict.

As we counter Iran, we must also provide as much assistance as we can to our ally Israel. We know Israel will need more defensive capabilities, including Tamir interceptors for its Iron Dome air defense system — the backbone of its missile defense architecture. My colleagues and I introduced a bill last week to reallocate aid funding that could have ended up in Hamas’s pockets to Israel’s Iron Dome. This legislation would be an important first step in defending Israel against further attacks.

We know Israel will need more offensive capabilities, including precision guided munitions to hit specific ground targets. We know Israel will need more medical equipment to help troops and citizens recover from continued vicious attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah.

The United States and Israel have long partnered by sharing intelligence on terrorism in the Middle East. That partnership must continue. We must ensure that we are providing all the intelligence assistance we can to help Israel eliminate the Hamas threat.

Congress and the administration must work together to aid Israel in whatever way possible — whether through funding, military equipment, or intelligence sharing. Our support of Israel will help it triumph over terrorism. And our support of Israel will help us to show strength and deter adversaries like Iran. Standing with Israel promotes our own American interests as well.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.