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ICYMI: Congressman Moran Pens Op-Ed on Attacks in Israel for Dallas Morning News

Washington, D.C.—Today, in a column published in the Dallas Morning News, Congressman Nathaniel Moran (TX-01), a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, condemned the barbaric attacks in Israel and emphasized the importance of U.S. support for one of our most trusted allies.

 

“As an evangelical Christian, a freedom-loving Texan, and a sitting member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the events in Israel this past week are of utmost concern to me,” Congressman Moran continued.  “But beyond that, they should concern every East Texan and, frankly, every member of humanity regardless of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or political affiliation.”

 

“Now is the time for us to be “all in” for our friend and greatest ally, Israel—not for friendship’s sake, but for freedom’s sake. And, for America’s sake. We cannot cower to powers in this world who are inspired by hate. But, to do this effectively, the U.S. must change its current course in foreign and military affairs,” continued Congressman Moran.

 

Read the full op-ed here or below.    

 

As an evangelical Christian, a freedom-loving Texan, and a sitting member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, the events in Israel this past week are of utmost concern to me. But beyond that, they should concern every East Texan and, frankly, every member of humanity regardless of religion, ethnicity, race, gender, or political affiliation. 

 

I was raised to understand and adhere to the greatest of all the commandments: love God and love each other. What we’ve seen in the past week is, to the contrary, pure hate and pure evil. Hamas is a well-known Iranian-backed terrorist organization whose official charter calls for the “obliteration” of Israel and the Jewish people. This last week has been proof of their commitment to this goal: the beheading of babies, innocent concertgoers raped and slaughtered, desecration of the dead, the elderly, mothers, young women, and children taken hostage, among them a number of Americans. More than 1,000 people systematically massacred, including at least 22 Americans. Make no mistake: Hamas is not a group looking for reconciliation, stability, or peace. It seeks the total annihilation of the Jewish state and the Jewish people. Consider that for a moment, and let that sink in.

 

So, how do we respond?

 

We should act. We should act strategically with strength and steadiness so that these enemies of the U.S. and Israel are overwhelmed and ultimately defeated. 

 

We must stand firmly with Israel with whatever our ally needs—whether that means releasing appropriated funds to Israel, sharing intelligence and resources, providing military equipment and support to the Israeli Army, or using our military muscle directly against those responsible. 

 

The U.S. should also impose the toughest of economic sanctions against any individual, organization, or nation involved in these attacks. We must work expeditiously to move the region forward toward safety, stability and peace for all. Indeed, peace, particularly the growing normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, is exactly what these terrorists hope to undermine with their barbaric attack. 

 

To ensure these terrorists don’t succeed, we must redouble our support for Israel’s normalization in the region. This is why I fully support the expansion of the Abraham Accords, which served in 2020 as a model of how to help normalize relations between Israel and other Middle Eastern countries. The U.S. must continue to work with our Arab partners to ensure these terrorists are not able to derail our efforts toward peace. 

 

Now is not the time for timidity. It is time for strength and unity with Israel. Such action will help deter evil, preserve life, and promote liberty.

 

We should reflect. For America to act more decisively to end such evil before it grows, we should reflect on our recent history and recognize that the weak diplomatic and military policies and actions of the U.S. over the past three years have contributed to a world where bad actors have gone largely unchallenged—whether it is Iran, China, Russia, or North Korea. It is axiomatic that weakness invites aggression. And, the U.S. has shown weakness on the world stage time and again under the Biden administration. 

 

It is equally axiomatic that appeasement is not a winning foreign policy strategy for the U.S. To the contrary, appeasement simply guaranties that the U.S. will be marginalized, enemies will be empowered, and we will face even greater threats in the future as we watch totalitarian regimes and those who mock democracy grow in power and influence. We cannot let this happen; otherwise, what is happening in Israel will eventually happen again on U.S. soil.

 

We should change. Change in our foreign policy is a necessity at this critical moment. Our foes must fear us, and our friends must respect us. This means that our friends need to know we will stand with them in strength and steadiness when it really matters; that we will not abandon them. 

 

Now is the time for us to be “all in” for our friend and greatest ally, Israel—not for friendship’s sake, but for freedom’s sake. And, for America’s sake. We cannot cower to powers in this world who are inspired by hate. But, to do this effectively, the U.S. must change its current course in foreign and military affairs. 

 

We must return to the doctrine of “peace through strength.” Evil seeks destruction and death. It is the nature of evil. In response, we must offer the nature of goodness. More than pious platitudes in these perilous times, this means decisive and dedicated action to bring swift and continued justice to evildoers in this world. We need to offer strength and steadiness—now and in the future—so that democracy, freedom, peace, stability, and goodness prevail, and the lives of the innocent are protected. Let us begin by standing with Israel.

 

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