2 Years Since 10/7

Two years ago, the barbaric terrorists of Hamas unleashed the worst atrocity on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and Hamas still holds dozens of hostages in deplorable conditions. More than 1200 Israelis were indiscriminately murdered including women, children and the elderly. For context, that would be roughly the equivalent to 40,000 Americans deaths based on population. Since that tragic day, nearly 1000 Israeli soldiers have lost their lives in this fight against terror, and Israel has defended against numerous attacks, thousands of rockets, land still faces threats from Iran and her terror proxies.

Since 10/7, Israel has faced a hostile international community and negatively biased media coverage. The response after October 7, 2023 by the international order has been the clearest example of victim blaming in my lifetime. Israel has accepted multiple peace proposals only to see Hamas reject or violate the agreed upon terms. We have seen European countries reward Hamas by seeking to recognize a ‘Palestinian State’ that simply does not exist in reality. Apparently, terrorists can rape, murder, and hold hostages at will and get international recognition in return. It is beyond shameful.

Israel has delivered unprecedented amounts of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the midst of the war against Hamas. Billions of pounds of food, fuel, and medical equipment have been delivered and distributed in Gaza. There has never been a wartime humanitarian operation like this in history, yet Israel constantly gets maligned for blocking aid.

I have led multiple delegations to Israel since October 7, 2023 including in early November of 2023. I visited the Gaza envelope and saw the aftermath of the terror attacks. We saw evil incarnate. Wearing body armor, we walked through the burned-out homes of Israelis where the smell of smoke and death still permeated every inch of the communities we visited.

To be clear, the terrorists of Hamas started this war with the October 7 attacks. The entire conflict is heartbreaking, and Hamas is responsible for all of the suffering and death we have seen on both sides. As with any war, there have been mistakes made with unintended casualties of war, but Israel continues to maintain the lowest civilian to combatant casualty rate of any modern conflict, by taking great care to avoid civilian casualties at a cost to its own soldiers. The unfortunate civilian deaths are a sad byproduct of the rogue regime of Hamas continuously seeking Israel’s destruction. Gaza has been under self-rule since 2005 when Israel removed Jewish settlements and military installations. In return for this disengagement, Israel has been under constant assault. The threat of Hamas must end, and the persecution of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world must end.

President Trump has laid out a path to peace supported by Arab and Islamic countries and Israel has accepted the offer. We fully back President Trump in his support of Israel and his pursuit of lasting peace. Thus far, Hamas has only responded with empty platitudes. The onus is on Hamas to lay down their arms, return the hostages, and pursue peace. If not, President Trump has indicated Israel will finish the job one way or another.

There are no straightforward solutions to this generational conflict, but a new dawn of peace and prosperity in the Middle East is possible. Israel is a leader in the tech sector, agriculture, and more. The U.S.-Israel defense partnership has delivered countless lifesaving innovations. Israel boasts a thriving democracy and shared ideals. As an American, I have seen firsthand the benefits of this special relationship.

There are numerous reasons to stand with Israel and the Jewish people, but my faith forms the cornerstone of my support. My faith in Christ is only possible because of the Jewish people and their faithfulness for millennia in laying the foundation of the morality and decency that defines Christianity and our country. The Bible was written entirely by Jewish hands, the land of Israel is promised to the Jewish people, and my Savior, Jesus Christ, was a Jewish Rabbi. As a Christian, we owe the Jewish people a debt of gratitude. Scriptures teach that those who bless Israel will be blessed, and we are commanded to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

There are challenges ahead, but there is also hope. Two years ago, we saw the worst of humanity. The Georgia Faith & Freedom Coalition has been working nonstop in support of Israel and the Jewish people. In the last two years, our organization has hosted dozens of pro-Israel events, led multiple solidarity missions on the ground in Israel for elected officials and pastors, successfully lobbied for historic emergency security assistance for Israel at the federal level, passed meaningful legislation defining antisemitism in Georgia with HB 30, and engaged countless pastors and churches in support of Israel.

We will be praying and working for the peace of Jerusalem. Please join us in this movement.