Portman Statement on Situation in Israel

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) issued the following statement regarding the ongoing situation in Israel:

“The almost 2,000 Hamas rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza violate the international law of armed conflict and must be roundly condemned by the United States and the rest of the international community. In response to these attacks, Israel has the right to defend itself. There is no equivalence between the deadly, indiscriminate rocket attacks by Hamas and the defensive actions taken by the government of Israel.

“During its ongoing negotiations with Iran, the Biden administration must also take into account the fact that Iran supplies Hamas with funding and weapons. Such support to Hamas and other proxy terrorist networks, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, endanger U.S. and Israeli national security interests as well as millions of innocent civilians.

“I stand ready, along with many of my colleagues in the U.S. Senate, to work with the administration in a bipartisan manner to support policies that advance the cause of peace in the region. As we saw with the Abraham Accords, peace was on the move in the Middle East over the past couple of years, and I am hopeful we can get back on track to achieve more progress under the current administration.”

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