US lawmaker blasts Biden in Knesset, contrasts Israeli and American youth

Stefanik sharply criticized the Biden Administration for considering a halt to the delivery of military aid to Israel.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

On Sunday, New  York Representative Elise Stefanik gave a historic address to the Israeli Knesset during which she blasted Biden’s threat to withhold aid from Israel and declared, “America is firmly behind Israel and the Jewish people.”

Republican of New York’s 21st congressional district, best known for confronting presidents of Ivy League colleges about their policy on antisemitism last December, praised Israel’s handling of the war against Hamas.

Stefanik stressed the need for Israel to eliminate Hamas, given that it is part of a larger battle representing “the forces of good versus evil. The forces of civilization against the forces of barbarism, of humanity versus depravity.”

She drew a contrast between the way Israeli youth mobilized for war and the way in which young people the same age in the United States took sides with the terrorists and blamed Israel, rather than Hamas, for the ongoing Gaza war.

Stefanik explained, “In the week after October 7th, 360,000 Israelis reported for military duty, flying home from around the world. That’s the equivalent of 20 million Americans—more Americans than served in World War II.”

She added, “What a striking comparison: Young Israelis heeding the call of duty, fighting for their families, their people, and their homeland while the pro-Hamas apologists on so-called elite campuses across America are, in a paroxysm of blood lust, cosplaying Hamas, calling for ‘intifada’ and genocide with signs saying ‘Final Solution.’ Chanting ‘Death to Israel.’ And chanting ‘Death to America.’”

However, Stefanik stressed that these do not represent the majority, and most Americans stand behind Israel.

“Let me repeat: America is firmly behind Israel and the Jewish people,” she said.

Stefanik sharply criticized the Biden Administration for considering a halt to the delivery of military aid to Israel.

“I have been clear at home and I will be clear here: There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel – aid that was duly passed by the Congress,” she said.

“There is no excuse to ease sanctions on Iran, paying a $6 billion ransom to the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, or to dither and hide while our friends fight for their lives. No excuse. Full stop.”

Elise Stefanikpro-IsraelUS-Israel relations