On the recordOctober 31, 2023
Mr. President, 3 weeks ago, Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists murdered 33 Americans and 1,400 Israelis in the deadliest terrorist attack since September 11, 2001. These depraved savages killed more Jews in a single day than any time since the Holocaust. Israel is now at war and on the verge of what could be its bloodiest battle in a generation. And the struggle is real. It is not only fighting Hamas and Gaza, it is fighting a confederation of Iranian- trained, funded, and armed terrorist organizations. From the Houthis in Yemen to Hezbollah in Lebanon, to Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, Iran is besieging Israel by proxy. At the same time, Iran is conducting extensive attacks against Americans in the region. Since Joe Biden took office, Iran and its proxies have attacked American forces more than 100 times. Let me say that again: 100 times. That is why we need a person of strength as the U.S. Ambassador in Israel. We need an ambassador who is a champion of the American-Israeli relationship who can bridge the Democratic-driven divide in the alliance. We need an ambassador who is clear-eyed about the Iranian threat and prepared to confront it. Instead, President Biden has nominated Jack Lew, who at times seems a better friend to Tehran than Jerusalem. The U.S. Senate should reject this nomination to be Ambassador to Israel. A vote for him is a vote to subvert, not strengthen, our ally in its time of need.…





