Tom Cotton Urges Israel to Defeat Hezbollah 'Once and For All'

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) urged Israel to take decisive action to eliminate Hezbollah "once and for all," even if it means invading southern Lebanon. Speaking on CBS’s Face The Nation over the weekend, Cotton emphasized that now is not the time for ceasefires, despite pressure from the Biden-Harris administration.

Cotton praised Israel’s recent airstrike that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, calling it a devastating blow to the Iranian-backed terror group. “Israel has absolutely devastated the entire leadership structure of Hezbollah,” Cotton said. He noted that Hezbollah is currently at its weakest, thanks to Israel’s systematic targeting of key leaders and weapons depots over the past two weeks.

• Cotton stressed that the U.S. should be helping Israel defeat Hezbollah instead of pushing for a ceasefire, as the Biden administration has advocated.

• Hezbollah has long been Iran’s primary proxy in the region, used to target Israel and U.S. interests. Cotton pointed out that eliminating Hezbollah would severely weaken Iran’s influence.

• The senator also endorsed the idea of an Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon, if necessary, to destroy the remnants of Hezbollah’s leadership and arsenal.

“Hezbollah is on its knees,” Cotton declared. “The United States should help Israel drive Hezbollah to the mat and choke it out... That means for the first time in decades, Iran would be exposed on its flanks without a terror proxy capable of devastating Israel or our troops and our friends in the region.”

When asked if he would support Israel establishing a buffer zone in southern Lebanon to protect its civilians, Cotton did not hesitate. “If that’s what Israel needs to do to eliminate the remnants of Hezbollah’s leadership and its arsenal, then yes, of course.”

Cotton also turned his focus to the Biden-Harris administration’s failures in addressing Iranian aggression. Over the past year, U.S. forces have faced hundreds of attacks from Iranian-backed militias, yet the White House has taken a soft approach. Cotton attributed this to what he called the administration's long-standing policy of appeasement toward Iran.

“There’s been continued attacks on us again... we should be striking back harder,” Cotton said. “But that’s not Kamala Harris and Joe Biden’s policy. From the beginning, they’ve appeased and conciliated the ayatollahs.” Cotton also reminded viewers that Harris opposed President Trump’s successful strike on Iran’s terrorist mastermind in 2020, signaling her weakness on national security.

Cotton further criticized the Biden administration for giving away "tens of billions of dollars" in sanctions relief, allowing Iran to bolster its proxies and continue its destabilizing activities across the Middle East. In contrast, Cotton called for supporting Israel’s efforts to finish the job with Hezbollah, asserting that America's safety and Israel’s future depend on it.

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