WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, joined several of her Republican colleagues to express their support of Israel, the United States’ closest ally in the Middle East, as they respond to rocket attacks initiated by Hamas.
Ernst pledged her ‘uneqivocal support’ after blasting Hamas, an Iranian-supported and funded terrorist group, in a conflict that, to date, has claimed 145 lives in Gaza and 12 in Israel. Several of the lives lost in Gaza was due to Hamas rockets landing within Gaza, and the Israeli death toll has been kept low primarily because of Israel’s Iron Dome missile defense system.
“Number one, Hamas is a terrorist organization. Number two, Hamas is intent on destroying Israel. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. They are the closest of our allies, and we are all here today, and I can guarantee that each one of us assembled here is willing to pledge our unequivocal support to Israel,” she said.
Ernst called on President Joe Biden to support Israel and not enter back into the nuclear deal that the Obama administration made with Iran that the Trump administration later exited.
“Now, the Biden administration should be willing to do the same thing. Hamas again, a terrorist organization, to re-enter into the JCPOA at this point in time, and to work with Iran, who is the number one state sponsor of terrorism – Iran, who is backing Hamas – to enter into that JCPOA by this administration right now would be absolutely the wrong thing to do, not only for our American citizens but also for the State of Israel,” she explained.
“Again, I am here to pledge my unequivocal support to Israel. And I know that every one of my colleagues right here today will do the same. We’re asking that the Biden administration come forward in a strong statement of support for our closest friend and ally in the Middle East, Israel,” Ernst stated.
Earlier this week, Ernst supported a Senate resolution forcefully condemning the attacks against Israel by Hamas and reaffirming the United States’ unwavering commitment to our ally Israel and its right to take whatever means necessary to stop the murder of its citizens and foreign nationals residing in Israel.
