Thanks to a generous invitation from House Speaker Mike Johnson, I was blessed to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s July 24 speech in the U.S. Capitol.
The speech marked Mr. Netanyahu’s fourth appearance before Congress — a record for foreign leaders likely never to be tied, let alone broken. As pro-Hamas demonstrators burned American flags and chanted “Allahu akbar” (Arabic for “God is great”) in front of Union Station, Mr.
Netanyahu stood proud, brave, defiant and fearless. Last Oct. 7, Hamas terrorists committed an attack on Israel marked by rape, murder and infanticide.
It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. While some individuals and groups around the world are unthinkably excusing Hamas’ demonic attacks on Israel as justified, I am an American evangelical Christian, and I am proud to stand with Israel. I have learned about antisemitism in the halls of Yad Vashem in Israel and in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, which I recently toured as part of a trip to Ukraine for the National Prayer Breakfast in Kyiv.
From the Golan Heights to the fence line in the Gaza Strip, from the shores of Galilee to the Western Wall, I am honored to have witnessed the powerful history of Israel that Mr. Netanyahu explained to Congress. During the prime minister’s speech, I was reminded of the new axis of evil in our world today.
Iran supplies Hamas and Russia with the same drones to kill civilians in Israel and Ukraine, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin signed a war pact with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and China is lying in wait to attack Taiwan. Mr. Netanyahu was clear in his speech when he said: “For the forces of civilization to triumph, America and Israel must stand together because when we stand together, something very simple happens.
We win, they lose.” Mr. Netanyahu recognized Israeli heroes and soldiers in his speech.
He honored a soldier who grabbed a rifle and ran 8 miles to the front line to defend people on Oct. 7. Mr.
Netanyahu also recognized rescued Israeli hostage Noa Argamani, whose bravery reminded me of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests Ivan Levitsky and Bohdan Geleta, who had just been released after over a year of captivity in Russia when I met them in Ukraine. Tyrants always persecute innocent people for their faith — Hitler and Stalin are prime examples. Hamas has employed a corrupted version of Islam to legitimize the indiscriminate murder of Jewish people, and Russia has weaponized the Christian religion to create its own Kremlin-directed jihad.
As Mr. Netanyahu said in his address: “It’s a clash between barbarism and civilization. It’s a clash between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.
” The question for Americans and the rest of the world is simple: Do you want to be on the side of life or death? I know what side I stand on, and the unwavering support for Israel that my country and my church offer Israel makes me proud to be an American and a follower of Jesus. Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC. .
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