by Josh Hasten
Israelis should stop worrying about what the West thinks and focus on their own destiny, says Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.).
Three GOP congressmen and three coalition Knesset members addressed U.S. aid to Israel, the dangers of a Palestinian state, and the emergence of anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment within the right-wing camp, in a roundtable discussion at the parliament in Jerusalem last week.
The U.S. lawmakers also touched on a range of other issues during the English-language session held Wednesday in the presence of a group of prominent “Anglo” activists, that is Israeli activists from English-speaking countries.
• Rep. Andy Ogles, who represents Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, said he has been an outspoken supporter of Israel, particularly since the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, even as he has received death threats after suggesting that Hamas must be obliterated.
Ogles said that one of the benefits of Israel becoming less dependent on financial aid from the U.S. is that in a time of crisis, Israel can’t be held hostage to that aid, as he said was the case under the Biden administration.
He said the relationship between the two countries needs to move toward a “financial partnership.”
Under President Donald Trump, “Israel is no longer subject to political winds,” Ogles said.
“Quite frankly, Europe and the United States have long interfered in Israeli domestic and foreign policy. I think y’all should stop worrying about what the West thinks. You should focus on your own destiny,” the congressman added.
Ogles said that those on the right preaching antisemitism are not mainstream and don’t represent the real conservative movement. Those bashing Israel and the Jews are doing so for financial gain by generating clicks, he said.
“So, whether it’s Tucker [Carlson] or [Nick] Fuentes or whoever the heck it is, they’re not us, and they’re not welcome to be amongst us,” he said.
Ogles added that the two-state solution, based on the premise of “land for peace,” doesn’t work, with Oct. 7, 2023, being the prime illustration of this.
“It’s not going to work. They [the jihadists] don’t want to see you in existence,” he said.
• Rep. Scott Perry,
who represents Pennsylvania’s 10th Congressional District, said he
learned about the heroic spirit of Israel and the Jewish people later in
life, when his mother finally allowed him to read the book Treblinka,
about the Jewish revolt against the Nazis at the infamous death camp.
The book had been sitting on his shelf for years, but he had always been
told he was too young to read it.
Perry condemned the
terminology, disinformation and lies of those on the right targeting the
Jews, saying it was “propaganda meant to deceive people,” propaganda of
which he would never be a part.
Perry said he agrees that U.S. support of Israel isn’t just “aid.”
He
said he recognized the importance of the current U.S.–Israel Memorandum
of Understanding (2019-2028), which commits the United States to
provide $38 billion in security assistance to Jerusalem over 10 years,
as it was necessary “to help Israel defend themselves, as they live in a
bad neighborhood against everybody that’s around them.”
Perry said he does not support legislation
advancing a two-state solution, a position backed by some American
Jewish organizations. Instead, he emphasized the importance of visiting
Israel, hearing directly from its people, and seeing the situation
firsthand.
“Some tell me, ‘Oh, everybody in Israel supports a
two-state solution.’ I point out, ‘Look at the situation now. Look at
what a two-state solution has produced,’” he said, referencing the
events of Oct. 7.
Perry said he recognized Iran’s intensions of first targeting Israel, which is viewed as the “little Satan,” and the United States, viewed as the “great Satan.”
Referring to capitulation to terrorism in many countries, Perry said, “It’s going to be the United States and Israel—the only two left fighting this threat across the globe.”
• Rep. Clay Higgins, who represents Louisiana’s 3rd Congressional District, said the people of the United States and Israel are spiritually bonded by an unwavering commitment, anointed by God.
Higgins was clear that the United States and Israel share a deep partnership, and that any American assistance is by no means charity.
Both countries must act boldly and courageously to confront the radical Islamic threat, he said.
He called the two-state solution an “absurd” vision. “We see Israel as the sovereign nation, completely capable of dealing within its own sovereign rights. The world should be reminded daily that only in Israel do Arabs live free,” he said.
The anti-Israel and antisemitic speech within conservative circles came from “a very small voice,” and was a corruption of the message and the true belief of conservatives in the United States, Higgins said.
He added, “It’s not real, this antisemitic, anti-Israel noise that you’re hearing. It’s like something stuck to the bottom of our boot is to be scraped off while we continue with our journey.”
The US-Israel alliance
Representing the Knesset at the gathering were MKs Ohad Tal and Simcha Rothman of the Religious Zionist Party, and Likud lawmaker Amit Halevi.
Tal, chairman of the Knesset Caucus for Israel-United States Relations, stressed that the U.S.-Israel alliance was not one-sided and that Israel provides the U.S. with more actionable intelligence than all NATO countries combined, which saves American lives daily and a lot of money.
Israeli technologies including Iron Dome are being produced in the U.S., creating thousands of jobs and enhancing American security, he noted. He added that Israel is the only friendly country in the Middle East that does not have American army bases or American boots on the ground.
“We are fighting your enemies so American soldiers won’t have to,” he said.
Tal said he appreciated the visit of the congressmen who stand with Israel, committed to strengthening and building the alliance between the two nations.
Rothman, chair of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, thanked the congressmen for opposing the two-state solution, noting that the Knesset, under his sponsorship, passed a resolution with overwhelming support rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state, which he said would be an existential threat to the State of Israel.
He said he was aware of increasing voices in the U.S. questioning U.S. aid to Israel. The main problem was with the name “aid,” as it doesn’t reflect reality, he said.
“How many days does it take to bring a U.S. aircraft carrier to the region?” Rothman asked. Speaking metaphorically, he added, “Here you have the ‘USS Israel,’ constantly present without a single U.S. soldier, keeping this area safe for the interests of the United States—and for world peace.”
Rothman criticized left-wing media outlets in Israel and around the world, spewing propaganda against the Jewish state.
He said that Israel needed informed friends who can distinguish between truth and falsehoods.
Halevi, a member of the powerful Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, said that Israel and the U.S. are partners with similar values against common enemies who share similar radical ideologies.
He gave an example of why Israel needed to move away from U.S. aid, sharing that in January 2024, the Biden administration not only paused a shipment of 3,500 bombs to Israel, but also withheld spare parts needed for tanks, artillery and other equipment.
He stressed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear to President Trump that Israel wants to move from aid to a strategic partnership, as the prime minister also understands how the issue has become charged in the U.S.
“We are grateful for the aid, especially in the 1980s when we had many challenges with the economy here in Israel. But now it’s time to have a relationship as partners,” Halevi said.
The congressmen and their spouses were in Israel on a fact-find mission as guests of The Yes! Israel Project, a grassroots organization working to strengthen the U.S.–Israel relationship, founded and led by Ruth Jaffe Lieberman and Sarah Paley.
Lieberman told JNS that the group spent its time in the country meeting with senior officials, including Netanyahu, to gain insight into the issues from the perspective of Israeli citizens.
“We arrange in-depth meetings with individuals who can explain Israel’s policies and demonstrate why Israel is such a vital ally for the United States,” she said.
“We also emphasize the importance of Israel’s security, its future, and its historical and biblical roots, enabling our guests to develop a deeper connection to the land and its people,” Lieberman said.
Josh Hasten
Source: https://www.jns.org/gop-lawmakers-israeli-mks-urge-shift-from-us-aid-to-strategic-partnership-reject-palestinian-state/
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