With the somber anniversary of Oct. 7 just behind us, Israel is fighting a war, not only for its survival, but for the survival of the West. It is time for New Hampshire residents to take a hard look at where some of the candidates stand on Israel, Iran, and the escalating war in the Middle East.
In the Second Congressional District, Maggie Goodlander is running to replace Ann Kuster. It is important to remember that Ms. Goodlander most recently served as a senior advisor in the Biden White House and essentially holds the same position as that of the Biden-Harris administration. She is an ardent supporter of appeasing Iran and the removal of sanctions that once kept Iran financially in check. The removal of sanctions and unfreezing of billions in assets is directly responsible for Iran’s resurgence as the chief sponsor of terrorism in the world, and Hamas’ attack on Israel a year ago.
Goodlander also supports the Biden-Harris administration’s decision to pay ransom for the release of U.S. hostages. For example, the Biden White House cut a deal in September in which five Americans jailed in Iran were freed after the release of nearly $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
But like the rest of this administration, Goodlander only pays lip service to the hostages – both Israeli and American – still held by Hamas. I wonder if she can name any of them?
Perhaps most disturbing is Ms. Goodlander’s lemming-like support for some sort of mythical two-state solution between Israel on the one side and Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Palestinians on the other. If the Abraham Accords signed under the Trump administration has proven anything is the abject failure of a “two-state solution” as a U.S. policy.
The only path forward for peace in the Middle East is with a strong Israel, and expanding the peace already taking root thanks to the Abraham Accords with Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates. The next step toward peace is ratifying the agreements with Sudan and Morocco and, eventually, Saudi Arabia.
Ms. Goodlander supports a policy of appeasement toward Iran that is a detriment to Israel, a greater peace in the Middle East, and ultimately to U.S security both here and abroad. This policy encourages more bad behavior by Iran and its proxies, and it will only serve to make a bad situation worse. More policies of appeasement will inevitably lead to more terrorism, more protests and more chants of “death to America” here at home.
Appeasement as a foreign policy didn’t work in 1938 and it doesn’t work now. Goodlander’s foreign policy views should make her an unacceptable choice to the voters of New Hampshire’s Second District.
As goes Israel, so goes the world.
