On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel, murdering 1,200 innocent civilians and taking hundreds of hostages, some of whom remain in the Gaza Strip today, including American citizens. For the last year, Israelis have been targeted by attacks from every direction, and they have brought the fight to the terrorists who threaten their very existence. It’s critical that the United States stand strongly behind our ally and support Israeli victory.

Soon after the October 7 attack, I traveled to Israel with a congressional delegation. We were briefed by the Israeli Defense Forces about the atrocities committed that day, and we met with the families of hostages being held in Gaza who shared their painful stories. This visit crystallized what’s at stake in this war. It’s existential for Israel, and the war can only end when Israel has eliminated the terrorists living on its borders.

Israelis have lived with a constant threat from terrorists for decades. Hamas’ sole mission is to destroy Israel and murder Jews, and it has attacked, kidnapped, and killed Israelis for years. Tragically, the barbarism displayed on October 7 revealed that their depravity knows no bounds. Hezbollah, another U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, has also threatened Israel for decades and has been launching attacks from across Israel’s border with Lebanon since October 8, 2023.

What Israel’s enemies have in common is that they receive most of their support from Iran. Iran heavily finances terror groups throughout the Middle East, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthi terrorists, who are disrupting commercial shipping in the Red Sea, and the other militias that have launched hundreds of attacks against U.S. troops stationed in the Middle East in the last year. And Iran itself has launched two large-scale missile attacks against Israel – one in April and another on October 1 – indicating that Iran views this war as having high enough stakes for direct involvement.

Unfortunately, the Biden-Harris administration’s weak posture and policy of appeasement toward Iran emboldened the ayatollahs. The administration tried to restart the failed Iran nuclear deal. Just before the October 7 attacks last year, they gave Iran access to $6 billion in frozen assets, a decision they later reneged. Earlier this year, the Biden-Harris administration granted a sanctions waiver so Iran could access another $10 billion in funds. On their watch, Iran has not only grown more brazen in the Middle East, it’s also plotted assassinations of American politicians, including former President Trump.

We’ve also unfortunately seen this administration’s tepid support for Israel at a time when it needs a strong ally in the United States. It has drawn red lines on Israel’s conduct and attempted to micromanage its tactics, holding up weapons when Israel was not fighting the war to the Biden-Harris administration’s preferences. Vice President Harris even chose to skip the Israeli prime minister’s bipartisan address to Congress.

The United States needs to stand strongly with Israel as it faces enemies from every side that threaten its very existence. It’s been one year since terrorists launched a horrific attack on innocent people – an attack akin to September 11, 2001, in our own country. I will continue to stand with our ally and work to ensure Israel has what it needs to restore peace and security within its borders.