Supporting Israel critical to Middle East peace

By U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer
R-Nebraska

On the eve of Oct. 7, 2023, the Middle East was more peaceful than it had been in years.

Just a few years earlier, President Trump had brokered the Abraham Accords, historic agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain. And in the months before Oct. 7, Israel and Saudi Arabia were nearing an agreement to normalize their relations, with the Saudi Crown Prince saying: “we’re getting closer to peace every day.” The entire region seemed primed for a new era of lasting change.

But thawing relations between Israel and Arab nations meant that Iran, and its terrorist proxies like Hamas, would be increasingly isolated. And so, on Oct. 7, Hamas blindsided Israel with a savage attack it knew would upend Middle East stability—and in the process, expose old wounds that would keep the region fractured, with the goal of keeping Israel isolated instead.

By instigating a conflict with Israel and purposefully housing terrorist infrastructure and weapons in civilian areas, Hamas ensured that any Israeli response would result in civilian deaths and incite international opinion against our ally. Israel, forced to pursue first Hamas and then Hezbollah for its own safety, is now subject to the tired—but effective—propaganda that claims Israel is actually the “aggressor,” the “colonizer,” the “war criminal.”

These claims reached a fever pitch last week, when the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief, Yoav Gallant. The court accused them of committing war crimes, including intentionally starving civilians in Gaza.

Neither Israel nor the United States is party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC, and the organization’s anti-Israel bias has been well known for years. But actions like these arrest warrants fuel the fire of anti-Israel sentiment and risk destabilizing further a region so recently close to generational peace.

That’s why it’s so important for the United States to stand with Israel, and why it’s important that our leaders not fall victim to the narrative of our enemies.

If we don’t stand up to the ICC and other opponents of Israel now, we risk losing progress for peace. Israel is our strongest ally in the Middle East, and the region’s only democracy. Our nations share common interests and values. If we do not speak out in defense of Israel, the world will come to believe the lies of Israel’s enemies, and the prospect of normalizing relations between Israel and Arabs will be hindered.

Unfortunately, the Biden administration has tried to play both sides, criticizing Israel and even withholding lethal aid from the embattled nation, all in an attempt to pacify progressive members of his party and the international community. This strategy was intended to prove that America was more impartial, that we could see “both sides.” But that strategy has backfired every time, adding legitimacy to Israel’s critics and strengthening her enemies, like Iran.

Thankfully, reinforcements are on the way. In 2025, the new presidential administration and both houses of Congress will be led by strong pro-Israel voices. The Senate, the House, and the Trump administration will stand with Israel in support of democracy, against terrorism, and in pursuit of peace in the Middle East.

The last Trump administration aggressively supported Israel, recognizing Jerusalem as the capital and moving the U.S. embassy there. The same administration Israel also brokered the Abraham Accords, demonstrating that a path for a more peaceful Middle East starts with legitimizing Israel’s position.

Contrary to what the ICC and similar critics claim, Israel is fully justified in its campaign against terror. The United States and our leaders must not be afraid to say that and say it loudly. Generational peace is on the line.