Former President Barack Obama has backed Israel’s effort to destroy the Palestinian terror group Hamas, saying Monday that the U.S. must “stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas.”
Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel from Gaza over the weekend on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the annual High Holy Day cycle.
Obama said in a statement online:
All Americans should be horrified and outraged by the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians. We grieve for those who died, pray for the safe return of those who’ve been held hostage, and stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it dismantles Hamas. As we support Israel’s right to defend itself against terror, we must keep striving for a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
All Americans should be horrified and outraged by the brazen terrorist attacks on Israel and the slaughter of innocent civilians. We grieve for those who died, pray for the safe return of those who’ve been held hostage, and stand squarely alongside our ally, Israel, as it…
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) October 9, 2023
Michael Oren, former Israel ambassador to the United States under Obama’s first term, praised the former president for his statement.
“Thank you, President Barack Obama, for your unequivocal support for America’s ally, Israel, during our dark hour, for sharing in our pain, and recognizing our need to dismantle Hamas. Your voice strengthens all those who stand by decency, humanity, and Justice,” Oren wrote on Facebook.
Oren’s gratitude is noteworthy, given that Obama often tried to isolate Oren during his difficult tenure as Israel’s representative in D.C. Oren later blamed Obama for the decline in U.S.-Israel relations.
Obama’s support for Israel is also remarkable, especially given his often hostile approach to the Jewish state, particularly during conflicts with Hamas.
In 2014, Obama demanded an immediate ceasefire after Hamas attacked Israel with a massive barrage of rockets. He also withheld crucial weapons from Israel in what observers called an effort to pressure Israel. The following year, he reached a weak nuclear deal with Iran, over Israeli objections. In 2016, he let the United Nations Security Council pass a resolution, without a U.S. veto, declaring the Israeli presence in eastern Jerusalem illegal — though it is the center of the Jewish faith.
Obama also sought to create “distance” between the U.S. and Israel, refusing to visit Israel during his first term. When he visited during his second term, he declared that it was not “fair” that Palestinians did not have a state of their own — ignoring the fact that the Palestinian Arabs had been granted the right to form a state by the United Nations, but chose to attack the Jewish state in 1948 instead, and had done little else since.
But the sheer brutality of the Hamas terror attack — which played out in social media scenes featuring violence by Palestinian terrorists against women, children, and elderly civilians — seems to have convinced Obama to back Israel squarely in its war.
The Hamas terror attacks on Israel have resulted in over 900 deaths and at least 2,500 wounded, according to the latest reports.
President Joe Biden announced that 11 U.S. citizens were killed in the attacks. Additionally, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad are holding over 100 hostages in Gaza, including an unknown number of American citizens.
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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