In an interview with Sean Hannity discussing the war in Israel, former Sec. of State Mike Pompeo urged the United States to take a strong stance in support of Israel.
Calling the actions of Hamas “grotesque” and “barbaric,” Pompeo highlighted that “Prime Minister Netanyahu should have a free hand to do what he needs to do.”
“I am just hoping that this administration doesn’t slow him down,” he implored. “There are going to be long weeks. There are going to be some pictures that come out of Gaza that are going to be tragic. But make no mistake about it: Prime Minister Netanyahu has the duty to defend his own people in the same way that the United States has that duty.”
Israel must firstly be given the freedom to secure themselves, Pompeo continued. “[Israel] has got to go take down Hamas. Every last person who’s connected has got to be wiped out.”
“We should definitely not be telling Israel, no one should be telling Israel, how to conduct its foreign policy,” he insisted.
Iran’s Direct Involvement
When asked about Iran’s role in the carnage, the former Secretary of State said unequivocally that it was Iran that fuelled the massacre.
“It is Iran that is the problem,” he urged. “Hamas executed a mission that was funded, trained, and directed by the Iranians.”
Pompeo, who is an evangelical Christian and a firm friend to the Jewish State, added that he is worried Iran will expand its attack on Israel to the northern border.
“The Iranians are prepared to fight to the last Hezbollah life or the last Hamas life,” he asserted.
“The United States should demand that, not only the United States, but every other country stop providing any money to Iran,” he said. “They’re still funding the Palestinians in Judea and Samaria. They’re still underwriting all kinds of programs that go to these terrorists. We’ve got to stop all of that funding. It could be done tomorrow, President Biden just as to say so.”
This includes the need to “pull back” the $6 billion given in ransom payments to Iran last month, Pompeo explained.
Weakness On The World Stage
The Biden administration has set a bad precedent of weakness on the world stage, which Pompeo noted is largely to blame for the increased brazenness of bad actors like Iran.
“The deaths that happened today are the responsibility of Hamas. They were caused by Iran. But the conditions were set by American weakness in Afghanistan, by allowing Vladimir Putin to think that a small invasion might be okay, and then ultimately, by not convincing the Iranians that we would have Israel’s back,” he warned. “I pray that President Biden understands what is at risk. It is Israel and America’s place in the world. We have to get this right.”
“We now have Americans held hostage, and Hamas—puppet of Iran—is threatening to kill them. They’ve already killed 11 Americans, they’re threatening to kill Americans live on video and broadcast the audio as well,” Pompeo described. “President Biden hasn’t told the Iranians [and] hasn’t told the world what America’s response to that will be.”
“If we don’t stand with Israel, if we don’t give them the tools that they need… then we will risk even more American lives,” he stressed.
Neutral And Anti-Israel Voices
Like many watching the horror inflicted on Israel over the last four days, Pompeo expressed his disgust with those taking a neutral position in the conflict and worse, those taking a position against Israel.
“I saw a statement from the General Secretary of the United Nations [on Monday] that just was sickening, talking about how we need to make sure that everyone obeys international law,” he stated. “Goodness! When you’re raping women and dragging them back to the Gaza Strip, that’s not [upholding] international law.”
Calling the comments of anti-Israel Democrat congress members “unexplainable,” Pompeo noted that the actions of Hamas are “reminiscent of what happened in the Holocaust.”
“We see women and children being dragged off to their deaths. For a congressman not to call that out and somehow to say that those victims are to blame for what’s happened is fundamentally indecent,” he emphasized.
A Christian Ally Of Israel
Last month, Pompeo was named number one on the list of “Israel’s Top Christian Allies” by the Israel Allies Foundation. In response, the former Sec. of State remarked, “I’m honored to named the top Christian ally of Israel. Even out of office, I’ve continued to fight for Israel because the Jewish nation-state matters to all Americans, Christians, and the peaceful future of the Middle East.”
While speaking at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills in 2021, Pompeo noted that he “kept an open Bible” on his desk while serving as secretary of state, adding that he “knew that faith strengthened our diplomacy; it didn’t reduce it, it didn’t undermine it.”
As the United States moves further away from its Judeo-Christian roots, its crucial support of the Jewish State has dwindled.
“We knew that if America didn’t stand with our friend and ally in Israel, that America would be worse for that, and our faith [as a nation] would be diminished,” Pompeo stressed.
