Sen. Cruz Statement On Israeli Actions Against Hezbollah

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement today after Hezbollah confirmed that Israel eliminated Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and significant parts of Hezbollah's command.

In a statement, Sen. Cruz said,"Israel's actions against Hezbollah over the last two weeks have again and dramatically demonstrated why it is our most important ally in the Middle East. Hezbollah is an Iranian-controlled terrorist group that has the blood of hundreds of Americans and uncountable thousands of innocent civilians from across the world on their hands. The group and its leader Hassan Nasrallah were used by the Ayatollah to secure Iranian domination of Lebanon and build a network of terrorist armies across the Middle East. Israel's successes in countering Hezbollah, including and especially the liquidation of Nasrallah yesterday, underscore in dramatic fashion that Israel and America share the same enemies, and that when our Israel allies move to advance their interests they directly enhance the national security of Americans.

"Unfortunately, Israel's historical victories are being accomplished despite the policies of the Biden-Harris administration. The administration has allowed over $100 billion to flow towards the Iranian regime, money which then flowed to Hezbollah and enabled its terrorism against Americans, Israelis, and across the world. In Lebanon, Biden-Harris officials elevated Hezbollah both diplomatically and militarily, even successfully pressuring Israel to cede territory toward the group. They have refused to impose mandatory sanctions, which I drafted and passed into law in 2018, to hold Hezbollah accountable for its use of human shields. They consistently and falsely downplayed the extent of Hezbollah's control over Lebanon and its malign activities, and sought to block efforts to counter that control. Meanwhile the administration has since day 1 sought to undermine and constrain Israel, and indeed over the last two weeks Biden-Harris officials have engaged in a frantic international effort to impose a ceasefire on Israel and prevent our Israeli allies from achieving its successes.

"Americans are immeasurably safer today because Israel ignored that pressure and dismantled Hezbollah. Israel's achievements demonstrate beyond any doubt that these Biden-Harris policies have been catastrophic, and that the United States should reverse those policies.

"The Ayatollah will not give up his investment in Hezbollah. He will seek to rearm the terrorist group, and to use the Beirut Airport and Lebanese seaports to do so. American officials will be tempted to turn a blind eye to those activities, even as Biden-Harris officials continue to undermine Israel. Those policies acutely undermine the safety and prosperity of Americans. The policy of the United States should be to unequivocally support our Israeli allies as they continue to dismantle Iran's terrorist infrastructure in Lebanon and across the Middle East, for as long as it takes."

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