Netanyahu Meets U.S. Senators on Hamas Attack Anniversary, Slams Calls for Arms Embargo

On the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with a bipartisan delegation of U.S. Senators in Jerusalem, expressing deep gratitude for America’s steadfast support during the ongoing conflict. The visit, led by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), came at a critical moment in Israel’s fight against Iranian-backed terror groups.

Netanyahu acknowledged the significance of the visit on such a somber day. “It was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust, but unlike the Holocaust, we fight back,” he stated. The October 7 massacre claimed the lives of more than 1,200 Israelis, and Netanyahu emphasized that Israel is fighting with “the support of the American government and the American people.”

Sen. Graham, speaking passionately about the stakes, said, “The reason people were killed on October 7 was they were Jewish. We’ve seen this movie before.” Graham underscored his commitment to Israel’s defense, particularly as 80,000 Israelis have been forced to flee their homes in the north due to ongoing Hezbollah rocket attacks.

Key remarks from the meeting:

• Graham vowed that “Whatever it takes to get your people back in their homes, you do it,” referring to the displaced Israelis.

• He also delivered a sharp rebuke to French President Emmanuel Macron, who has called for an arms embargo against Israel. “To my friends in France, you’ve got this ass backwards,” Graham declared, urging greater support for Israel as it fights forces that threaten both Israel and the West.

Netanyahu didn’t hold back in his response, criticizing Western leaders like Macron for calling for an embargo while Iran continues to arm terror groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis. “This axis of terror stands together, but countries who supposedly oppose this terror axis call for an arms embargo on Israel. Shame on them,” Netanyahu fired back.

Graham also invoked the memory of the 9/11 attacks to remind the delegation of the dangers radical Islamist terrorism poses to the world. “If Iran ever got a nuclear weapon, they would use it. The question would be who would they use it against first. Me? You? Saudi Arabia? We can never let that happen,” Graham warned, pledging continued U.S. support in preventing Iran from achieving nuclear capabilities.

The meeting underscored the deep and enduring alliance between the U.S. and Israel, with both nations reaffirming their commitment to defeating terrorism and ensuring Israel’s security in the face of growing regional threats.

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