One Year Later, ALEC Support for Israel Grows Stronger

Much has changed as we solemnly mark the first anniversary of the savage October 7 Hamas attack. That attack resulted in more Jews killed in a single day than at any time since the Holocaust. More than 240 innocent children, women and men were abducted (97 of whom remain captive in Gaza). In the immediate aftermath of October 7, the world recognized Hamas’ brutality for what it was – a massacre of Israeli civilians. The murderous rampage would not have been possible without the direct complicity of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) – the UN agency charged with administering Palestinian refugee camps. See my February article, Defund UNRWA Permanently, which details this organization’s support for terror and assistance on October 7.

Mere days after the assault, the global Zeitgeist shifted: the victims became the problem, while the perpetrators became “freedom fighters.” Meanwhile, anti-Semitic incidents have increased 360% since October 7 (the problem is especially acute on college campuses as detailed in my colleague Rose Laoutaris’ article, Free Speech under Attack at UC Berkeley). While the summer brought a respite, with the new school year, the orchestrated anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests have begun again at universities. As sympathies move to those who unleased the terror on October 7, a feeling of estrangement has been a common theme at synagogues across the nation as Jews celebrated first Rosh Hashanah this year.

Last week, Iran launched its second major air assault this year on Israel. A barrage of nearly 200 missiles sent Israelis dashing to their safe rooms as projectiles struck central and southern portions of the country. Thanks to the coordinated efforts of a defensive coalition that included the Israeli and US militaries, only one casualty was reported – a Palestinian man living in Jericho. Tragically, in the moments before the air attack, the armed wing of Hamas fired on Israeli civilians in Jaffa, resulting in seven Israeli deaths and multiple wounded

This most recent Iranian aerial bombardment was in retaliation for Israel’s systematic neutralization of Hezbollah’s leadership over the past few weeks. This included the elimination of Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, who led the Shi’ite terrorist organization for more than 30 years. Iran’s military operation to avenge the deaths of Hezbollah leadership laid to rest any doubts that the organization is an Iranian proxy.

Rockets fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel since October 8, 2023 forced 60,000 Israelis to flee their homes. This precipitated Israel’s incursions into Lebanon, which resulted in the discovery of the Conquer the Galilee plans to unleash an October 7-type of attack on communities in the Galilee. This finding underscores why Israel must be supported in acting decisively and unilaterally in defense of its citizens. Israel’s response to the missile assault should send a clear message that Iran’s direct and indirect attacks using proxies around the world will no longer be tolerated. Hezbollah has penetrated South America, so Israel’s efforts to weaken this terrorist organization will benefit our hemisphere as well.

While much has changed in the past year, ALEC support for Israel has remained steadfast. Within three weeks of Hamas’ attack, ALEC adopted the Resolution to Affirm Support for Israel and to Condemn Hamas and began collecting lawmaker signatures on an ALEC joint letter of support for Israel. To date, the letter has more than 250 signers representing 43 states. ALEC has published several articles on anti-Semitic incidents at American universities and adopted the Act to Prohibit Anti-Semitism in State K-20 Educational Institutions, which manages to protect Jewish students without inhibiting free expression. ALEC model policies now also include the Act to Adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of Anti-Semitism. And our most recent national conference included a plenary panel discussing Israel and anti-Semitism in the US – watch the presentation here.

As the United States’ most dependable ally in a challenging region, Israel has earned nothing short of our unwavering support. ALEC will keep the Israeli people in our thoughts as High Holiday celebrations continue this week with hope that the coming year brings peace, security and the return of the remaining hostages held by Hamas.