Thank you for the incredibly warm welcome! It’s a pleasure to be with the members and supporters of Christians United for Israel. You are the very definition of God-fearing patriots. You champion a strong America and you courageously stand up for one of America’s best friends, the nation of Israel.
And you have an inspiring leader of faith in Pastor Hagee. It’s always a pleasure to see him, as well as his his lovely wife, Diana. I’m proud to call them friends, and I’m proud to support the organization that they founded.
America needs groups like yours more than ever. As the world grows more dangerous, America requires strong allies. And you understand that the key to making and keeping allies in foreign affairs is the same to making and keeping friends in your own life: loyalty.
As the scripture teaches us, “one who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin.” That is true for men and nations alike.
The surest way to earn loyalty is to demonstrate it. Both friends and foes alike have know that we stand with those who stand with us. Only then can we build strong, reliable, and reciprocal alliances—just like the alliance we have with the Jewish State.
Bound by shared principles, faith, and history, nations have stood together against the odds. Indeed, when necessary, we have stood alone against a hostile world, with Israel. And time and again, we have triumphed—proving that the Truth, even when spoken by just a few, can defeat the lies of the many. And when you’re on the side of God, nothing is impossible.
We are here tonight, united in our support of Israel, because we cherish this alliance and are dedicated to preserving and deepening it.
But as you all know, the Biden administration has a slightly different perspective. The Democratic Party has not only discarded that old proverb about friendship, but also Lincoln’s famous folk wisdom: “never sell old friends to buy old enemies.” And while loyalty is the keystone of our policy, betrayal is the byword of Joe Biden's policy.
This administration has plumbed new depths of treachery in its conduct of foreign affairs.
In his first months in office, President Biden abandoned our Afghan allies and effectively grounded their air force in the middle of the fighting season that year. He stood by and watched as twenty years of American sweat and blood went up in smoke. He then left our interpreters and partners to be hunted down and killed, while hoping that a band of seventh-century savages who had fought us for twenty years would all of a sudden become our friends.
The president even had the audacity to call his Afghan fiasco an “extraordinary success”—I think we shoudl call it what is was: defeat with dishonor.
Since the Taliban came to power, the Biden administration has provided that regime over a billion dollars in aid—proving that they won’t arm and protect our friends, but they will gladly prop up our enemies.
In that same year that he betrayed Afghanistan, he also stated also cozying up to Vladimir Putin of Russia. In his first week in office, President Biden handed Putin his number-one foreign-policy objective by extending the New Start arms-control treaty without any concessions from Russia, something that President Trump had refused to do. And he gave him his second foreign policy priority, approving the Nordstream II pipeline, again, something President Trump refused to do. He invited Vladimir Putin to a fancy summit in Europe. He stopped arms shipments to Ukraine. At every turn, Joe Biden spent his first six months in office giving Vladimir Putin everything he wanted.
And when it became clear that Russia planned to invade Ukraine, you may recall that Joe Biden infamously speculated that NATO wouldn’t respond if it was only a “minor incursion.”
Sensing weakness, Putin went for the jugular. And now the wages of Joe Biden’s weakness are Russian tanks rolling through Eastern Europe and the deadliest European war since the fall of the Third Reich.
And while he was heedless in appeasement, the president has vacillated, delayed, and flip-flopped on critical military aid to our friends in Ukraine. He keeps saying we’ll fight “as long as it takes”: how about fighting to win “as quickly as they can.”
But course, it’s not just our Afghan friends or Ukrainian friends that the administration has betrayed. Joe Biden has also turned his back on Saudi Arabia, promising to turn our long-time partner into a “pariah” and bizarrely refusing to shake the hand of the Saudi Crown Prince, insisting instead on some goofy fist bump. Now the administration wonders why the Kingdom increasingly looks to China to help protect its security interests.
The reason is simple: abandon a friend, and they'll probably abandon you in return.
But no betrayal has been worse and more foolish than the Democrats’ betrayal of Israel.
Indeed, the Democrats seem to reserve special scorn for one foreign leader in particular. They have called him a “reactionary,” a “racist,” an “ethno-nationalist.” They’ve accused him of committing “war crimes” and of leading an “apartheid state.” President Biden himself has called him “extreme” and said they don’t agree on “a damn thing.”
Strong words. Who is this monster, you might ask? Were the Democrats talking about Vladimir Putin? Xi Jinping? Kim Jung Un Or maybe Ayatollah Khamenei? No, they were referring to Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and one of America’s best friends in the world.
Just last week, Joe Biden condemned members of the Netanyahu’s government as the “most extreme … I have seen.” When Netanyahu was politically vulnerable, President Biden declared that Israel “cannot continue down this road.” And until yesterday, the president had ostentatiously refused to invite Netanyahu to a meeting in America—and he still refuses to say whether it will be a White House meeting. And that invitation came only after Democrats had their latest blowup with a senior Democrat condemned Israel as “a racist state,” in front of pro-Palestinian radicals, no less.
Only days ago, our departing ambassador to Israel, the man responsible for strengthening relations between our two nations, proclaimed that Israel is quote, “going off the rails” due to Netanyahu’s policies. With friends like Joe Biden and Tom Nides [Nigh-dz], the Israelis may think they'd rather have enemies.
And Democrats haven’t stopped at mere disrespect for Prime Minister Netanyahu. In 2021, the Biden administration reportedly pressured our friends in the United Arab Emirates to cancel an Abraham Accords Summit. Why? To deprive Benjamin Netanyahu of a diplomatic victory before that year’s election. And after Netanyahu won the 2022 election, the Biden administration immediately began to pressure the prime minister against certain cabinet appointments, destabilizing his governing coalition. Joe Biden’s cabinet is bad enough; we don’t need him messing up Israel’s cabinet as well.
Meanwhile, the State Department has funneled tens of thousands of dollars to an organization in Israel dedicated to defeating the Prime Minister's domestic agenda. And Secretary of State Tony Blinken has publicly lectured the prime minister about Israel’s proposed judicial reforms.
Liberal senators, members of Congress, and commentators have all echoed these criticisms. Which is awfully rich coming from Democrats these days, who want to pack our Supreme Court and trash our Founding documents. I guess when American liberals want to change the courts, it’s the only way to save democracy, but when Israeli conservatives want to, it’s a mortal threat to democracy. Go figure.
Bibi Netanyahu should wear these liberals' scorn with pride. They don’t just hate him for who he is, but for what he represents. Prime Minister Netanyahu represents a strong, confidant Israel today, just as Ronald Reagan embodied a strong, confidant America in his time. Let’s be frank: these liberals oppose Netanyahu because they oppose Israel.
The liberals in America and the globalists at the United Nations hate Israel because it’s a living rebuke to their world view. Israel is a strong, vigorous, and growing nation that is grounded in faith, sovereignty, and order.
It’s a democracy that, like America, is willing to use our militaries every single day to defend our peoples. Israel isn’t a nation of victims, it is a nation of warriors. It’s a nation of conviction, not platitudes.
Forged in adversity and tempered by vigilance, Israel is the greatest enemy of terrorism, antisemitism, and nuclear proliferation in the Middle East. It’s a force for peace and stability in a region wracked by chaos. And above all, it’s the most pro-American nation in the region.
All of these noble qualities are anathema to the left.
Which is why the Biden administration is constantly trying to restrain and undermine Israel.
Just two weeks ago, the administration stood by and said nothing as the United Nations condemned Israel, again, for hunting down terrorists in the West Bank.
And last week, the administration asserted that Israel shouldn’t use force against Hezbollah, which had seized Israeli territory and erected tents on it and refused to return to Lebanon. This is outrageous. These terrorists were given a chance to leave by choice. Israel has the right to eject them by force. Borders have meanings—and enemies cross them at their own peril. Even if Joe Biden doesn’t think so.
Coddling Iran:
Now perhaps if Israel hosted rallies where members of their government chanted “death to America,” Democrats would relate to them better. Perhaps they would demonstrate the same deference to Israel in that case they have extended to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Frankly, it’s difficult to imagine any viable candidate for president who would be worse on Iran than Joe Biden. In 2008, he was aptly labelled, “Tehran’s favorite senator.” Well, Tehran’s favorite Senator is now Tehran’s favorite president.
From the beginning, Joe Biden has shown nothing but weakness to Iran. Within days of taking office, the Biden administration removed the Houthis, a pro-Iranian terrorist group located in Yemen, from the United States government list of terrorist organizations. Shortly thereafter, the Houthis rewarded this generosity by launching a major new military offensive against our friends in Saudi Arabia.
In its first hundred days, the Biden administration also announced that it would send hundreds of millions of dollars to Iran’s Palestinian allies. They claimed that it would foster peace and stability in the region. The next month, Palestinian and Iranian-backed militias launched over 4,000 rockets into Israel. So much for peace and stability, purchaed with American taxpayer dollars.
Then, a few months later, we learned that Iranian intelligence assets had stalked an American reporter in New York City, videotaped her family and home, and planned to abduct her and take her back to Iran. This flagrant violation of American sovereignty should have resulted in firm and immediate retaliation. Instead, the Biden administration approved the release of billions of dollars of Iranian assets the very same day.
And the concessions have continued. Time and again, this administration has all but begged the ayatollahs to re-enter the disastrous Iran Nuclear Deal. President Biden has repeatedly offered to give away the farm—only to be rebuffed and informed that the ayatollahs insist on the shirt of his back as well.
Of course, the president hasn’t acted alone. Those in Washington are fond of saying that “personnel is policy.” If that’s the case, Joe Biden’s choice of Robert Malley to be his chief negotiator with Iran is perhaps his worst Middle East policy. How bad is Robert Malley? Some of you know that name. Well, the man Joe Biden selected to sit across the table with the leading state sponsor of terror was forced to quit the 2008 Obama campaign because of his ties to Hamas. It should therefore come as no surprise that our negotiations with Iran have been a complete disaster for the last two years. But as it happens, Mr. Malley’s bad judgment also extends to his handling of classified information—he is now on extended leave from the State Department and has reportedly lost his security clearance. Judging by how seriously Attorney General Merrick Garland is treating the storage of classified information these days, I can only guess that Mr. Malley will soon be trading a conference room in Austria for a prison cell in federal lockup. Surely, we won't see any double standards there, will we?
But even without Malley at the helm, Joe Biden has continued with his policy of abject appeasement. Just last month, the administration announced that it would allow $2.7 billion to flow to Tehran, all free of American sanctions. Instead of a formal agreement, Biden is now making honey promises and empty assurances. He is giving away irreversible concessions in exchange for easily reversed promises.
The ayatollahs will use Biden’s billions to inch closer to the bomb, fortify their bunkers, strengthen their military, and continue to support terrorism. Iran’s ayatollahs don’t respect or pity weakness. They exploit it. The proof is in their aggression.
Since Joe Biden became president, Iran has attacked American service members more than eighty-three times—an average of once every eleven days. We have only responded five times. Five. This manifest weakness must end. And it must end now.
You know, few lines better encapsulate this administration’s weakness than the one that a senior administration official recently provided to reporters. That official proclaimed that there is “no substitute for diplomacy.” Let me say that again, no substitute for diplomacy.
No, in the words of Douglas McArthur, “there is no substitute for victory.” Our objective is not diplomacy. It is never diplomacy. Diplomacy is just a tool. Our objective, again, is victory. Victory for ourselves and our allies, and victory over all our adversaries.
Whether we use diplomacy or force is a choice. Partly ours, partly our enemies. We will always prefer and pursue diplomacy, but we must never shrink from force to pritect our people and our friends.
We should not make concessions for a conference. We should not lift sanctions for a discussion. And we must never accept extortion as the price for peace.
Our message to the Iranians should be simple; we will kill any terrorist and down any drone that threatens American lives. And we will not only target those that attack us: we will go after their patrons and sponsors as well. We will pressure Iran in every imaginable way and we will not stop until Iran’s sponsorship of terrorism stops, until Iran ends its mad dash towards the bomb, and until Iran stops trying to wipe Israel off the map.
And we must make clear that we will sooner destroy the Iranian nuclear program by force than allow Iran to get a nuclear weapon.
At the same time, we must strengthen and defend our friend, the state of Israel. That means continuing aid and increasing arms shipments. And it means fighting against antisemitic crusades like the “Boycott, Divest, and Sanction” movement—we should make clear to companies that if they support the BDS movement, they won’t be doing any more business with the United States government.
Again, supporting Israel also means keeping out of its domestic politics. This administration should quit its hypocritical criticism of Israel’s potential judicial reforms and instead pay greater attention to Iran’s obscene crackdown on protesters and assaults on the rights the rights of women—something Democrats claim to care about. Well, at least they used to claim to care about when they use old-fashioned words like “woman.”
And if we are forced to act against Iran’s nuclear program, we shouldn’t have to act alone either. Israel must have the ability to strike its mortal enemy. That means giving the Israeli Defense Forces the munitions and logistical tools needed to reach and destroy Iran’s hardened facilities. And I’m proud to tell you that’s exactly what the Congress is about to do in the next defense bill.
Ever since the people of Israel broke from the bondage of the pharaohs, they have fought and triumphed over fearful odds, time and again. And they are resolved to never again live or die by the permission of others. We will give them the tools to ensure that Israel is the master of its own destiny.
And after all the insults and disrespect from this administration, I also think it’s about time that Congress clearly states its unwavering support for our Israeli allies. Which is why—just hours ago—I introduced legislation that states three simple things: first, Israel is not a racist or apartheid state, no matter how many Democrats claim it. Second, that Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia. And third, it states that “the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.”
There should be no doubt, America stands with her allies. And we will stand with Israel. Not only for the benefit of our friends, but also for the strength and security of the United States of America.
You know, we are all familiar with Matthew 5:14—“ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Ronald Reagan loved that bit of scripture. I also believe America is a shining city on a hill. We are an exceptional nation and graced by God to be an example to the rest of the world.
But I want to point out that the city is on a hill, it is not on an island. And as much as we sometimes might want to, we cannot survive or thrive in splendid isolation from the world. Our city only shines so long as it stands strong. Our nation’s first obligation is to defend itself. For that, we need allies.
But at every turn, Joe Biden alienates our allies and toasts our enemies. Joe Biden is unfit and unwilling to protect our city on a hill. So, it’s up to us, Republicans, independents, Democrats of conscience, and Christians of all backgrounds to unite in the defense of America and her allies like Israel.
For the city upon a hill to stand and shine, it must remain strong. Together, I’m confident that we can build a strong America, a strong Israel, and a strong and prosperous alliance with other civilized nations around the world. That’s your policy, it’s my policy, and together we will once again make it America’s policy. Thank you, God bless you, God bless Israel, and God Bless the United States of America.
