U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered a strong message of American solidarity in Israel on Thursday alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and revealed that the number of Americans who have died since Hamas' attack Saturday has now climbed to at least 25 U.S. citizens.
Blinken reiterated the Biden administration's sentiment that the U.S. stands with the Jewish state.
"The message that I bring to Israel is this: You may be strong enough on your own to defend yourself, but as long as America exists, you will never, ever have to. We will always be there by your side," Blinken said. "That's the message that President Biden delivered to the prime minister from the moment this crisis began. It's the message that I and my other colleagues in the government have delivered to our Israeli counterparts on a daily, even an hourly basis. It's the message that I bring with me to our discussions today, and it's what I'll affirm, when I meet with the members of Israel's newly formed national emergency government. We welcome the government's creation and the unity and resolve that it reflects across Israel's society."
"I can tell you there is overwhelming – overwhelming – bipartisan support in our Congress for Israel's security here in Israel and everywhere," he added.
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Netanyahu and Blinken also addressed the threat of Hamas, with the Israeli leader likening the Iran-backed terror network to ISIS.
"Hamas is ISIS," Netanyahu said. "And just as ISIS was crushed, so too will Hamas be crushed and Hamas should be treated exactly the way ISIS was treated. They should be spit out from the community of nations. No leaders should meet them. No country should harbor them. And those that do should be sanctioned."
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"This was just one of Hamas's countless acts of terror in a litany of brutality and inhumanity. That, yes, brings to mind the worst of ISIS," Blinken added. "Babies slaughtered, bodies desecrated, young people burned alive, women raped, the parents executed in front of their children, children in front of their parents. How are we even to understand this?"
Blinken said he came to Israel not only as the U.S. Secretary of State, "but also as a Jew."
Netanyahu described Blinken's visit as "another tangible example of America's unequivocal support for Israel."
"Hamas has shown itself to be an enemy of civilization," Netanyahu said. "President Biden was absolutely correct in calling this sheer evil."
