The former secretary of state toured Hamas massacre sites from October 7 and declared “I stand with Israel.”
By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited the October 7 massacre and attack sites Tuesday while on a personal visit to show support for Israel and called it his “most heartbreaking” trip to the country.
He and his wife, Susan, were briefed by an IDF officer in Kibbutz Kfar Aza, where Hamas terrorists brutally murdered 62 members, 40 of them infants and children, with many of them found beheaded. Nineteen of the kibbutz members were also taken hostage, among the 253 kidnapped and 1,200 people slaughtered overall during the surprise invasion of Israel that day.
They also went to the site of the Nova dance rave, which has become an informal memorial to the dozens kidnapped and 360 revelers who lost their lives over hours of being hunted down by the terrorists, in the largest single massacre during what Israelis call “the Black Sabbath.”
In Ofakim, where Hamas forces murdered 53 townspeople, some of whom had rushed to help their fellow citizens during the attack, Pompeo visited soldiers of the Armored Corps’ 73rd Battalion who are currently stationed in the town.
In a video clip uploaded to Israeli news sites, the Evangelical Christian can be seen smiling broadly as they dance with him in a circle singing a song about having faith in God.
Afterward, however, he said soberly, “I’ve been to Israel on numerous occasions. But this visit has been the most poignant and the most heartbreaking.”
“What happened on October 7th was so shocking and so sadistic that the trauma is felt constantly, everywhere by everyone. And yet, their resilience is truly inspiring,” he continued. “Every Israeli continues to sacrifice and give so much to help their countrymen and defend their nation.”
“The ongoing tragedy of hostages held in Gaza demands our collective efforts to bring them home,” he added, stating firmly, “I stand with Israel. I stand with the Jewish people, and I support the resolute victory of Israel in this war against evil.”
Israel’s former UN ambassador and Likud MK Danny Danon, who accompanied Pompeo, thanked the current distinguished fellow at the conservative Hudson Institute think-tank for his “steadfast support and moral clarity against the evil forces we are facing…. We have no choice but to persevere and fight for victory and the complete eradication of Hamas who is unyielding in its genocidal mission.”
“It is crucial to recognize that Israel cannot emerge victorious with one hand tied behind its back,” he added, in seeming reference to the White House urging Israel to consider a ceasefire and demanding that the IDF not enter Hamas’ last stronghold of Rafah unless it can provide a “credible plan” to get more than a million Gazan civilians out of harm’s way first.
The Pompeos made the tour at the behest of their friend, Israeli businessman, and philanthropist Yossi Sagol, who stressed how important it was for them to have come with him to witness Hamas’ evil.
“I firmly believe that [Pompeo’s] firsthand observations are essential to highlighting the tragic realities faced by Israel’s citizens and will further enhance the opportunities to effectively convey the events of that fateful day,” he said.