Stand With Israel
Christians United For Israel kicked off its ninth annual Washington Summit today. As you may know, Christians United For Israel was founded by Pastor John Hagee, and I am honored to serve on CUFI's Executive Board.
The timing of this year's Summit seems prophetic and the mood is heavy. Thousands of pro-Israel Christians have come to our nation's capital to show their support for the Jewish state as it is once again engaged in hostilities against Islamic terrorists who have vowed to destroy it.
Today, attendees will hear from an incredible lineup of speakers, including former CIA Director James Woolsey and columnist Charles Krauthammer. I will be participating in a number of events, including a session entitled, "Refuting Negative Myths About Israel." I will also be introducing the aunt of one of the three Israeli teenagers killed by Hamas kidnappers last month.
This evening the Summit will host a Night to Honor Israel featuring remarks from Pastor Hagee, Senator Lindsey Graham and Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer. Click here to watch it live online.
Israel v. Hamas
Israel's conflict against Hamas escalated dramatically over the weekend. Thirteen soldiers from an elite Israeli Army unit (two of whom were American citizens) were killed yesterday during an operation to eliminate Hamas' network of underground tunnels.
That is a staggering figure to Israelis. Proportionally, given the relative size of the American and Israeli populations, it would be like Americans waking up to headlines reporting that nearly 500 U.S. soldiers were killed in one battle.
While much attention has been focused on the threat from rockets, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is a growing danger presented by the complex of "terror tunnels." Israel has discovered dozens of these incredibly sophisticated tunnels, reinforced with concrete and some dug as deep as 100 feet.
Many originate in apartment buildings, some open up underneath mosques. One senior Israeli military official described the tunnels as "almost entirely hidden on the surface and as elaborate as a labyrinth." This weekend's fighting was especially fierce because the area involved is believed to be a nexus of the tunnel complex, and Hamas is desperate to protect it.
Hamas fighters have used the tunnels to ambush and, if they can, kidnap Israeli soldiers. Many experts fear that Hamas really intends to use the tunnels to launch "Mumbai-style" terror attacks inside Israel. (In 2008, 10 Pakistani jihadists killed 164 people during a bloody rampage across Mumbai, India.)
Israeli forces thwarted at least two such tunnel attacks today. Separate reports indicate that seven Israeli soldiers were killed.
It's worth reminding readers that Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, uprooting thousands of Jewish families in the process, even relocating Jewish graves. In exchange, Israel did not get peace. Instead, Hamas seized control of Gaza and turned it into a launching pad for more terror attacks.
White House Ignored Border Crisis
Last week I asked how it was possible that the media completely missed the so-called "humanitarian crisis" at our southern border until a few weeks ago. There were plenty of warning signs. In fact, theWashington Post reported Saturday that the Obama Administration was warned two years ago.
But such warnings were dismissed because "top officials focused much of their attention on political battles, such as Obama's 2012 reelection campaign and the push to win congressional support for a broad immigration overhaul, that would have been made more difficult with the addition of a high-profile border crisis."
One of those sounding the alarm in 2012 was Texas Governor Rick Perry. At an event in Iowa yesterday, Perry said, "If the federal government does not do its constitutional duty to secure the southern border of the United States, the state of Texas will do it." Today, Governor Perry announced that he was ordering the deployment of 1,000 National Guard troops to the border.
Meanwhile, back in Washington, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) introduced a resolution last week urging border state governors to follow Perry's lead by deploying their National Guard units in order to "gain effective control of the southern border of the United States." Commenting on Barack Obama's request for $3.7 billion in emergency spending, Rep. King said:
"There is nothing in President Obama's $3.7 billion request that secures our border. … This crisis is devastating our communities and putting the burden on American taxpayers.… Therefore we call upon the southern border Governors to call up their National Guard units to secure the border. … These are the only supplemental appropriations the House should be considering."
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