Capito: U.S.-Israel relationship must remain strong

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito said the country needs to continue its support with one their closest allies, Israel.

“Now is the time to unabashedly and unapologetically support Israel,” Capito said Wednesday on Capitol Hill.

More than 1,400 people have been killed including 31 American citizens since the initial attacks from Hamas on Saturday, October 7. Numerous people have also been taken as hostages. Capito calls this war from Hamas “an unacceptable tragedy.”

“I condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks perpetrated on Israel by Hamas,” said Capito.

Capito said it’s important in these trying times that the relationship remain strong with Israel, a country that the U.S. has been friends with for many years.

“The United States and Israel has a long history of demonstrating mutual respect and allegiance to one another,” the Senator said.

Capito, along with 98 other senators, announced a bipartisan resolution this week for the U.S. to provide steadfast support for Israel and condemn the Hamas attacks. She is a cosponsor of the bill.

Capito is concerned that those currently in hostage situations are running low on time and the U.S. must act quickly to help them.

“Time is of the essence,” said Capito. “I’m afraid the longer we wait, the sadder the stories.”

The bill that Senator Capito has cosponsored would freeze $6 billion sent to Iran from the Biden administration. The Revoke Iranian Funding Act would prevent Iran from accessing those funds held in Qatar to what Capito calls, “finance terrorist attacks against Israel or any other nation.”

“Providing a $6 billion credit to Iran, the world leader in state sponsored terrorism, only emboldens our adversaries and weakens the standing of the United States and our allies,” Capito said.

Back in June, Capito cosponsored the Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act, which would sanction those who facilitate illicit purchases of Iranian oil.

“It’s past time to get tough on Iranian oil and to stop the regime from skirting our U.S. sanctions,” she said.