Weekly Column: Israel--Continued Work To Win The Peace

“We are going to win the war, and we are going to win the peace that follows.”

These were the words of then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in a broadcast to the American people on December 9, 1941, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.  In many ways, we continue to work to win the peace in the decades since.  After Israel’s establishment in the aftermath of the end of World War II, Israel has been and continues to be one of the most important allies for the U.S. in an increasingly unstable and dangerous region.  Continued support of Israel is vital to our national security as our country persists in working to win the peace. 

Cementing lasting peace in the Middle East remains one of the greatest challenges of our time.  Two years ago, the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement took a significant step in bringing our world closer together.  On September 15, 2020, the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement was signed at the White House ushering in normalized diplomatic, commercial, security and other relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain.  Through the agreements, the UAE and Bahrain joined Egypt and Jordan in increasing the number of Arab countries with full diplomatic ties with Israel.  Sudan and Morocco also joined the Abraham Accords in 2020.  

The U.S. must continue to be a conduit for additional countries normalizing relationships with Israel as we broaden further opportunities for peace in the Middle East.  Doing so will continue to reap both national security and economic benefits here at home for years to come.  To help reinforce these efforts, I have also been a longtime advocate in Congress for Israel’s right to defend itself from existential threats from hostile nations and terrorist organizations.  This Congress, I have supported a number of legislative actions, including:   

• Co-sponsoring a Senate Resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the United States supports Israel, our greatest ally in the region, and its right to defend itself against terrorist attacks;

• Co-sponsoring the Stop Iranian Drones Act to expand existing provisions requiring sanctions against individuals or entities that provide certain types of weapons to Iran;

• Co-sponsoring the Iran Treaty Act that would require any agreement with Iran related to its nuclear program to be submitted to the Senate as a treaty and subject to the Senate’s advice and consent;

• Co-signing a letter to President Biden urging him to support Israel’s right to self-defense and to ensure that sanctions relief is not provided to Iran;

• Co-signing a letter to President Biden encouraging the Administration to work with Congress as it began to review the U.S. approach to Iran;

• Co-sponsoring several resolutions condemning anti-Semitism, including fellow U.S. Senator for Idaho Jim Risch’s resolution to reject anti-Semitism and reaffirm support for Israel and Jewish communities around the world; and

• Becoming a founding member of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism.

These are just some of many, ongoing efforts supporting this important ally.  The alliance between Israel and the U.S. continues to serve as a cornerstone of progress and stability in the region, and both countries should continue to work together to combat evils of extremism and promote greater peace, prosperity and progress in the region.  As a strong supporter of Israel, I look forward to continuing to strengthen and improve relations between the U.S. and Israel and ensure that assistance continues to serve our mutual interests and national security. 

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