Crapo Sponsors Resolution in Defense of Israel

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) and 24 other Senate Republicans, introduced a resolution reiterating Israel’s right to self-defense and condemning recent calls statements from U.S. lawmakers, which interfere in Israel’s sovereign electoral process.

“I remain a strong advocate for Israel’s right to defend itself from existential threats by hostile parties,” said Crapo.  “It is more important than ever that the United States honor our diplomatic partners like Israel by showing our support for the practice and continuation of their democracy by not interfering with their sovereign electoral process.”

It is the longstanding policy of the United States to support Israel’s inherent right to self-defense.  This policy was enshrined in U.S. law through the passage of several bipartisan pieces of legislation, including the United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (P.L. 112-150) and the United States-Israel Strategic Partnership Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-596).  The Senate recently reaffirmed this policy through the passage of S. Res. 417, following the devastating terrorist attacks perpetrated against Israel by Hamas--an Iranian-backed terrorist organization--on October 7, 2023.

On March 14, 2024, the Senate's top Democrat gave an unprecedented speech on the Senate floor where he called for elections to be held in Israel, stating that the country’s current government “no longer fits the needs of Israel after October 7.”

The resolution is also co-sponsored by Senators Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas), Josh Hawley (R-Missouri), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Florida), Pete Ricketts (R-Nebraska), Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), John Thune (R-South Dakota), Jerry Moran (R-Kansas), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Steve Daines (R-Montana), John Barrasso (R-Wyoming), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Shelley Moore Capito (R-West Virginia), Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) and Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska). 

The full text of the resolution can be found here.