Rep. Smith Statement on Israel’s Role in Middle East

WASHINGTON, DC - Representative Adam Smith (D-Wash.) today issued the following statement:

"In this current moment, there is a crucial opportunity to bring partners together to blunt the influence of Iran and other extremist groups like ISIS and bring stability to the region. I recently led a congressional delegation to the Middle East and saw firsthand that we have partners who are ready and willing to work with us and with Israel to achieve this goal. However, Israel's current actions in Syria, Gaza, the West Bank and Lebanon run the risk of making these efforts at stability in the region much more difficult to achieve.

"Israel is blocking the delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza, enabling rapid settlement expansion and settler violence in the West Bank, and delegitimizing the new governments in Lebanon and Syria with military operations. I understand that Israel must defend itself against Hezbollah, Hamas and other Iranian proxies, but these extremist groups thrive in chaos and are able to recruit and gain support where populations in Gaza, the West Bank, Syria and Lebanon continue to suffer in active war zones. The only long-term hope is for stable governments to emerge in these places.

"Israel must immediately allow humanitarian assistance back into Gaza. It should do far more to stop settler violence in the West Bank, and, crucially, it must work with Arab partners in the region to support Palestinian leadership that can be an alternative to Hamas and give all the Palestinian people some hope for the future. Additionally, Israel's continued attacks on and occupations of land in Lebanon and Syria threaten to undermine the fragile, fledgling efforts of each to build new peaceful and stable governments.

"Bringing a coalition of partners together as a deterrence to Iran is the only way out of this cycle of regional conflict that has been devastating to the civilian population. Israel must immediately let humanitarian aid in, stop legitimizing settlements in the West Bank, and halt military actions that continue to contribute to the chaos in the region. Israel must change course or we risk losing this opportunity to achieve security and stability in the Middle East."

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