April 14, 2024 

As always, our Jewish community stands with the people of Israel and prays for their safety. 

The unprecedented aggression of the Islamic Republic of Iran, firing over 300 cruise and ballistic missiles and armed drones toward Israel, is reprehensible. It is rightly being condemned throughout the world. 

We are immensely proud and grateful that 99% of those projectiles were destroyed before hitting their targets, thanks to the tremendous skill of the Israeli Defense Forces and the support of the American, British, French, and Jordanian armed forces. We also take great pride in the service of Minnesota National Guard members stationed in Jordan and Kuwait.  

Thank you to former State Senator Paul Anderson, who is in Israel on a solidarity mission and offered these words, ‘[w]hile last night was a sobering experience in Jerusalem, it has been amazing to see the resiliency of the Israeli people. To witness firsthand the strong partnership between America, the United Kingdom and Jordan come together to repel the attacks of Iran. If there was any doubt prior to last night, there must be no daylight between the U.S. and Israel.’ 

We agree. Without their collective heroism and cooperation, the devastation initiated by Iran would be unfathomable. 

We ask that everyone pray for the swift and full recovery of Amina al-Hassouni. Amina is a seven-year-old Bedouin girl critically injured after shrapnel from an intercepted Iranian projectile pierced her skull. We also continue to pray for the well-being and return of all hostages held by Hamas who continue to languish in the cruelest imaginable captivity. Bring them home now! 

We share the emotional and psychological trauma suffered by the entire population of Israel. We are heartbroken by the numerous first-hand accounts we have received from dear friends – Jews, Christians, and Muslims – who huddled together in stairways as explosions burst over the night skies above Jerusalem, over even the Temple Mount. Six months after October 7, the worst single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, the people of Israel need our support now more than ever.   

Overnight, Iran reminded the world, including many here at home, of something many too quickly forgot over the past six months: this terrible war has always been a war that Israel did not start and did not want. A war that could end as soon as all of the hostages are released, and Hamas’ leadership, either through surrender or exile, is no longer able to repeat the October 7 massacre “again and again” as they’ve promised to do. 

Iran also made it clear that this war has never been a limited border dispute between Israel and its Palestinian neighbors. Rather it is a much broader conflict between the one Jewish State in the world and a powerful coalition led by Iran and its proxies – Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Houthi rebels, Iraqi militias, and their supporters here at home- which see it as their fanatical obligation to destroy Israel. 

With the support of the United States and our allies – we thank President Joe Biden and his administration for their “ironclad commitment” to Israel’s security – this is an existential war for Israel’s survival that Israel must and will win.  

Am Yisrael Chai, the people of Israel live.