GOP leaders on Capitol Hill offered prayers for Israel as it endured the deadliest assault on its people and territory since the Yom Kippur War 50 years ago. When the reality of the attack became clear, Republicans took to social media to declare their resolute support for the Jewish state as more than 1,200 civilians were killed in the unexpected early morning raid on October 7.
Hamas militants entered Israeli territory in the air by paraglider and on the ground by breaking down border walls and entering in cars and on motorcycles. The terrorists immediately encountered a music festival near the Israeli-Gaza border and proceeded to murder more than 200 attendees as others fled for their lives or were kidnapped and taken to Gaza as negotiation tools.
Terrorists razed villages deep into Israel, shooting men, women, and children as they went. Residents of the country’s many kibbutzim – small communities that are common in Israel – were butchered in their homes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately declared war on Hamas and convened a war cabinet, saying he intended to wipe out the terror group once and for all.
Republican Representatives and Senators, including Rand Paul, Steve Scalise, Byron Donalds, and Mike Lee, immediately declared allegiance with Israel. Scalise wrote, “The United States will always stand with Israel, our greatest ally in the Middle East.”
While Republicans were clear in their condemnation of the attacks, some Democrats declined to add their names to a joint proclamation in support of America’s Middle Eastern ally. More than a dozen lawmakers in the House of Representatives refused to back a resolution condemning the atrocity and offering friendship to Israel. These included Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who was removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee by former Speaker Kevin McCarthy due to a history of antisemitic statements.
Reps. Cory Bush and Rashida Tlaib also refused to back the resolution and blamed Israel for perpetuating an “apartheid state.”
