Gov. Greg Abbott visited the State of Israel this week, his third visit to the Middle Eastern nation since he was elected back in 2015.
"There is a deep, enduring bond between Texas and Israel, with the blessings of freedom and burdens of vigilance embedded in the histories of both our people," said Abbott.
Since Hamas’s October 7 attack, Abbott has taken actions to support Israel, including issuing an executive order to prohibit Texas state agencies from purchasing items produced in the Gaza Strip, providing educational resources from the Texas Education Agency about the Israel-Palestine conflict, and allocating $4 million in grants to support security for Jewish organizations.
"Unfortunately, never has freedom in Israel been more threatened than it is right now — and the people of Israel are vigorously fighting to defend it … Texas stands ready to offer our complete and total support to Israel in their fight against brutal terrorist organizations like Hamas," Abbott stated.
Texas officials have been strident in their support for Israel, especially with bond purchases over the past month. Comptroller Glenn Hegar purchased first $20 million and then $45 million worth of Israeli bonds to provide “financial liquidity,” and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also purchased $6 million in bonds from Israel.
Abbott was accompanied by Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt during his visit, where the two met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to “discuss partnerships with the Jewish people as they rebuild.”
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has also been a vocal supporter of Israel. In a speech on the Senate floor, Cruz said that “this fight is barbarism against civilization, good versus evil.”
“The differences between the two sides are as stark as darkness and light. The light and goodness will prevail if we stand with Israel.”
After the U.S. House finally came to a decision on electing a new speaker, the chamber is now set to vote on an aid package that would provide $14.3 billion to Israel. The dollars would be rescinded from funding for the Internal Revenue Service.
As the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, countries around the world and the United Nations (UN) have called for protection of civilians and a “humanitarian truce.”
This week, the UN General Assembly adopted a nonbinding resolution for “protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations” and demanded that all parties involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “immediately and fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly in regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects.”
The U.S. and Israel were two of 14 countries to vote against the resolution.
A Canadian amendment backed by the U.S. would have added a provision to condemn Hamas’ “terrorist attacks” on October 7 and demand the immediate release of hostages, but the amendment failed to be adopted.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S. “is deeply disappointed that Russia and China vetoed this resolution. A resolution that, as I’ve said, was strong and it was balanced.”
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