Texas Border Business
WASHINGTON, DC – To mark the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ unprovoked attack on Israel, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) authored the following op-ed in the Dallas Morning News highlighting the pressing need for America’s leaders to support Israel and stand up to terrorism around the world:
America’s next commander in chief must unapologetically support Israel
Senator John Cornyn
Dallas Morning News
October 3, 2024
https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2024/10/05/cornyn-americas-next-commander-in-chief-must-unapologetically-support-israel
One year ago, Hamas launched an unprovoked attack on our closest ally in the Middle East: Israel.
Hamas terrorist fighters entered Israel by land, air and sea. They brutally murdered, abused and kidnapped innocent civilians. They paraded hostages and dead bodies through the streets of Gaza like trophies. They killed nearly 1,200 people, making it the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. More than 200 people were kidnapped by Hamas, and sadly, more than 40 of our fellow Americans also lost their lives in the attack.
On Oct. 7, the world saw evil in its purest form. In the days that have followed, we’ve seen heart-wrenching videos and heard firsthand accounts of the terror Hamas continues to unleash in the Middle East. These images and stories are painful to see and listen to, but it is imperative that we share them. People in the United States and around the world need to understand the magnitude of what happened and what continues to unfold in the Middle East.
Texas is home to a vibrant Jewish community, and for them, the war in Israel is far more than a terrifying headline — it’s a deeply personal attack on their faith, family and heritage. I visited Temple Emanu-El in Dallas shortly after the attack to hear from members of the Jewish community impacted by the attacks. An elementary school teacher who had just moved to North Texas from a small kibbutz near Gaza cried as she told me about students who were slaughtered, and a mother of two young men in the Israel Defense Forces reserves told me about her beloved sons. It was difficult for them to share their stories, but they showed such courage in doing so to help all of us understand the personal and profound impact of a war happening on the other side of an ocean.
Support for Israel ought to transcend party lines, religion, race and ethnicity. This is not an issue of opinion; this is a battle of right and wrong, of good and evil. Israel is our most steadfast ally in the Middle East, and it deserves our full support, both in words and action.
I was honored to visit Israel earlier this year, and I was also extremely proud to have voted for widely-supported legislation that sent critical aid and military resources to Israel.
However, not everyone has made good on their rhetoric about backing Israel. The Biden-Harris administration has tried to have it both ways after facing blowback from progressives and antisemitic protests on college campuses. Vice President Kamala Harris skipped out on attending Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. This administration delayed the sale of critical F-15s to Israel despite Congress’ approval. And it has withheld aid passed by Congress over disagreements on how Israel, a sovereign nation, should defend itself from terrorists.
From the beginning of this war, I’ve said that Israel’s decisions on how to respond to this deadly attack must not be dictated by anyone but Israel. In the wake of 9/11, America’s allies didn’t attempt to micromanage our response. Instead, they stood in solidarity with the American people and pledged their support. Israel deserves the same, but the Biden-Harris administration continues to treat it like an untrustworthy antagonist.
A year after Hamas’ horrific attack, the world has never been more dangerous. There is war in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, and tensions are escalating in the Indo-Pacific. This is a direct reflection of the Biden-Harris administration’s utter lack of leadership on the global stage, complete abandonment of deterrence and tepid support of our most critical allies.
Our friends and enemies alike are watching how we respond. Iran’s missile attacks on Israel last week are a reminder that there is no daylight between Iran, its terrorist proxies and authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, who want nothing more than for America to abandon its allies.
If Oct. 7 wasn’t a wake-up call for this administration, I don’t know what will be. We face a modern-day axis of evil, and we cannot be naive to the fact that our reaction to terrorism around the world can and will affect our national security here at home. We ignore this grim reality at our own peril. It is vital our nation’s next commander in chief understands the importance of being a strong, trustworthy ally.
As we reflect upon this tragic day, may we mourn the innocent lives that were lost one year ago, vow to free those still held hostage and offer our unfaltering support to Israel as it continues its efforts to eradicate the evil that is Hamas.
