Tennessee U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) released a statement Saturday reacting to the terrorist attacks on Israel, saying she stands with the country.
“Just weeks ago, the Biden administration handed over $6 billion to Iran, and today, innocent Israelis were murdered by Iran-backed terrorists,” Blackburn said. “We must continue to support our strongest ally in the Middle East and their right to defend themselves against these unprovoked, horrific attacks.”
“I stand with Israel and join many around the world in praying for the safety and security of its people,” Blackburn added.
Blackburn’s statement comes as the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing at least 40 and injuring more than 700.
Shortly after, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu declared his country “at war.”
Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked.
The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an… pic.twitter.com/MzKs7tfv4M
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 7, 2023
“Since this morning, the State of Israel has been at war. Our first objective is to clear out the hostile forces that infiltrated our territory and restore the security and quiet to the communities that have been attacked,” Netanyahu wrote on social media.
“The second objective, at the same time, is to exact an immense price from the enemy, within the Gaza Strip as well. The third objective is to reinforce other fronts so that nobody should mistakenly join this war,” Netanyahu added. “We are at war. In war, one needs to be level-headed. I call on all citizens of Israel to unite in order to achieve our highest goal – victory in the war.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin commented on the attacks, saying, “I am closely monitoring developments in Israel. Our commitment to Israel’s right to defend itself remains unwavering, and I extend my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this abhorrent attack on civilians. Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.”
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Sen. Marsha Blackburn” by Sen. Marsha Blackburn.
And we are back to Square One. Boy howdy.