Lankford pens op-ed on why the US must continue to stand with Israel

Continue to pray for peace in Jerusalem

By US Senator James Lankford (originally published in the Tulsa World)

In the past six months, the Iranian regime has launched thousands of rockets at Israel through its proxies: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis. Iran has also launched hundreds of attacks on American forces in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Now, Iran has directly attacked Israel.

In addition to the ongoing threat now hurled at Israel from Iran, the US should clearly oppose the violence of Hamas terrorists and support the freedom for every hostage in Gaza. Some in Washington, DC, and around the world have forgotten that the current war in the Middle East started on Oct. 7 when Israel was brutally attacked by Hamas terrorists on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret. 

Update: Israel and the Arab World

Current Political Situation

Hillel Fendel, senior editor of the Israeli news website Arutz Sheva, has written a very interesting series entitled The New Middle East at a Glance - Country by Country. Here is the link for Part I, and here is Part II.

In the articles, Fendel discusses the recent political turmoil that began in Tunisia, and has spread to Egypt, Yemen, and throughout the Arab World of the Middle East and North Africa. In addition to talking about the unrest, he explains the historic and present state of the Jews in each respective nation. I highly recommend reading this series.

Iranian Provocation Continues

News has broken today that Iran is sending two warships to dock in Syria for a year-long "training mission". The vessels were set to pass through the Suez Canal today. In Syria, they will be in close proximity to Hezbollah, the terrorist group set up by Iran that is now in control of Lebanon. Hezbollah already has been armed by Iran, and with Iranian military support so close, will be emboldened. Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah, said today that he is ready for another war with Israel, and specifically an invasion of the Galilee region

Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood

For those here in the West who view the Muslim Brotherhood as a "moderate" and "secular" organization, and support elevating them to power in Egypt, allow me to show you Article 2 of the official Hamas Charter:

Article Two: The Islamic Resistance Movement [Hamas] is one of the wings of Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. Muslim Brotherhood Movement is a universal organization which constitutes the largest Islamic movement in modern times. It is characterised by its deep understanding, accurate comprehension and its complete embrace of all Islamic concepts of all aspects of life, culture, creed, politics, economics, education, society, justice and judgement, the spreading of Islam, education, art, information, science of the occult and conversion to Islam.

That is just one reason why it is dangerous for the Muslim Brotherhood to come to power in Egypt, Israel's largest neighbor. Two terrorist organizations (especially when in alliance or control of a nation like Egypt), in conjunction with Syrian and Iranian supported Hezbollah in Lebanon, pose a serious threat to Israel's safety, security, and very existence.

Operation Cast Lead: Day Eight

Israeli ground forces have moved into northern Gaza today, shortly after nightfall. Israeli troops have not been there, the site of former Jewish settlements, since the Disengagement in 2005.

Shortly before ground troops went in, the IDF began to use artillery to pound terrorist locations and mines. The IAF also struck more targets in Gaza. The IDF estimated another 30 Hamas terrorists killed, with no Israeli casualties.

Hamas continued to launch rockets into Israel, but there were no casualties. A home was hit, but most of the rockets landed in open areas.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that Israel is prepared for any attacks by the Iran-supported terrorist group Hezbollah on the border with Lebanon. Iran had warned that Hezbollah will get involved if Israel attacked Gaza on the ground.

Schmoozing With Ahmadinejad

Excerpts from a column by Maj. W. Thomas Smith, Jr.:

Schmoozing With Ahmadinejad
by Maj. W. Thomas Smith, Jr.

Following a recent lecture I gave to a group of extremely bright, young US Navy and Marine Corps officer candidates, I was asked why the Shi'a terrorist group Hizbullah - being the global threat it is - rarely headlines any major daily newspaper in the mainstream media.

It was an excellent question, one I am often asked and one which I am unable to adequately answer. After all, Hizbullah is perhaps the most dangerous terrorist army in the world. Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff once said Hizbullah “makes al-Qaeda look like a minor league team.” [emphasis mine]

So why isn’t wartime America being adequately informed and educated in this regard?

I won’t begin to guess beyond the insanity of political correctness or who knows what. But I will say that this lack of information has served as an enabler of Hizbullah and its Iranian-Syrian overlords. It has bought time for the Iranian-Syrian-Hizbullah axis. It has seriously undermined the majority pro-democracy movement in Lebanon (including the brave resistance against Hizbullah), and it has utterly failed the American taxpayer.

(Read the rest of the column at Arutz Sheva.)