This is a leading antisemitic and anti-Israel trope that has come to dominate university campuses, the radical left leaning media, and tragically, even the halls of Congress. It is also argued that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can never come to an end until all Palestinian refugees are allowed to return to a land that they claim is rightfully theirs. Although these claims have grown in society today, anyone with even the slightest knowledge of history can recognize that the land of Israel has been the eternal homeland to only one nation: the Jewish people.

Over the past 2500 years, the Jews are the only people to have ruled over the land of Israel as a sovereign state. The first Jewish Kingdom, the Davidic Dynasty, arose in 1030 BC and the First Temple was built by King Solomon between 930-970 BC. Although the Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire in 722 BC, the Jewish Kingdom of Judea continued to survive for another 136 years until the reign of Nebuchadnezzar. Shortly thereafter, the Persian Empire conquered the Assyrian empire and ruled from 586-333 BC.

As often happens in history, the Greeks, led by Alexander the Great, conquered the Persians and ruled from 322-167 BC. Soon afterwards, the Israelites, led by the Hasmoneans regained control of the land and ruled from 167-37 BC, until they were eventually captured and defeated by the Romans.

The Byzantines conquered the Romans and ruled from AD 324 – 638, until the Muslim Empire conquered the Byzantines and ruled until 1099. The Crusaders continued this endless merry go-round of conquerors and defeated the Muslim Empire and ruled until 1260. The Mamluks then defeated the Crusaders and ruled until 1517, when they were conquered by the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans were eventually destroyed and the British gained control of the land and declared it to be the British Mandate of Palestine. The British controlled the land from 1917 until 1947, and soon thereafter the Jewish state was formed.

It is crucial to recognize that even while conquerors have come and gone, a Jewish presence has never left the land and that Jews around the world have been praying to return for thousands of years. A brief glimpse into history clearly proves two essential points: 1) that the Jews are the only People to establish a sovereign state in Israel, and 2) of all the nations in the world, the Jews have the oldest claim to the land of Israel in history.

Even after recognizing that the Jewish people are undeniably connected to the land of Israel, many claim that this connection was more than 2000 years ago and lacks any relevance to today. Nevertheless, Karl Marx, the founder of communism, visited Jerusalem in the 19th century and provided an eyewitness account of the Jewish population in Jerusalem. Marx, who was a virulent anti Semite, has stated that the Jewish people were a majority in Jerusalem as early as 1854. For all those doubting the legitimacy of the Jewish right to the land of Israel, the Jewish people were a majority in 1854, and have only grown since then.

Furthermore, ever since the Israelite Kingdom was defeated and the Jewish People were exiled, the land lay as a desolate, barren wasteland that was uninhabitable to all. As early as 1267, Rabbi Moses ben Nachman fled from persecution in Spain by finding a new home in the land of Israel.  Rabbi Nachman stated in a letter to his son that "Many are Israel's forsaken places, and great is the desecration. The more sacred the place, the greater the devastation it has suffered. Jerusalem is the most desolate place of all."

If we fast forward almost 500 years, Mark Twain also stated in a written account that the land lay as a barren wasteland, essentially as fruitless and dangerous as Rabbi Nachman saw 500 years earlier. The land rejected each conqueror just as a human body may reject an organ that is not its own.

The land of Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish People, as proven throughout history. While the Davidic dynasty may have come to an end, no other sovereign state arose in the land until Israel was reborn in 1948. The land of Israel lay as a barren wasteland while patiently waiting for the Jewish Nation to return home. While life may often pose questions that we will never know, one eternal truth continues to persist: the land of Israel is the only homeland of the Jewish People.

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Remember when there was no such thing as negotiating with terrorists? When those that harmed innocent citizens were punished for their cruelty rather than appeased for their actions? I do, but it seems that the Biden Administration has blatantly chosen to ignore these principles while watching in silence as Iran sows chaos throughout the Middle East.

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Iran recently attacked an oil tanker, known as the Mercer Street, in the Arabian Sea and off the coast of Oman. This attack was carried out with an unmanned drone that was programmed to explode on impact and led to the death of two crewmembers. The primary reason for the attack was that the ship is connected to Eyal Offer, an Israeli billionaire. While the United States, the United Kingdom, Romania, and Israel have all held Iran responsible, they have also failed to carry out any collective response. When will the world finally make Iran understand that a price will be paid for attacking our citizens?

Just this past week, Iran attempted to hijack a British vessel, called the Asphalt Princess, off the coast of the United Arab Emirates. A crew member of the Asphalt Princess stated in audio that approximately five or six Iranian agents had boarded the ship. These attacks are only the latest in a series of hostilities that prove Iran will only become more aggressive if not held accountable.

The chaos that Iran is seeking to create with its navy is only one part of a greater strategy to inflict harm on western countries and to destroy the State of Israel. Iran currently funds Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and radical Shiite militias in Iraq. Most recently, Hezbollah fired more than twenty rockets at Israeli towns, even while Lebanon is engrossed in one of the worst financial crises in recent history.

Only three months ago, Israeli towns were shelled by over 2000 rockets that were fired by Hamas. In essence, Iran is striving to create a metaphorical noose around the State of Israel, whereby the terror groups that it funds will obey Iran's command while also enabling it to deny responsibility for any attack. How can the world continue to watch in silence as Iran solely strives to inflict bloodshed and chaos throughout the Middle East?

Iran recently elected a literal mass murderer, Ebrahim Raisi, as its new President. Raisi is widely known for orchestrating mass executions of political prisoners in the 1980's and is currently subject to U.S. sanctions for various human rights abuses. Raisi was the lead prosecutor on a "death commission" in 1988, is responsible for the death of thousands of men, women, and children, and is a close confidant of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.

Acting against any sense of human decency, the European Union has sent a diplomat to Raisi's inauguration as President, thereby supporting a man whose greatest achievement was in torturing and murdering political prisoners. Western nations applaud themselves for acting as the protector of human rights around the world but have turned a blind eye to a leader whose hands are filled with the blood of the innocent.

The world must finally recognize the Iranian ayatollahs for the danger that they are to human life and immediately implement backbreaking sanctions. These sanctions will prove that condemnation by western countries is not mere rhetoric and will act to alter their dangerous behavior. Iran has proven that their thirst for bloodshed outweighs their desire for peace, and sanctions can enable western countries to inflict a price for harming their citizens without resorting to direct confrontation. If Iran continues to harm the interests of the United States, the State of Israel, or any other western country, military action must be taken to reign in this murderous regime.

While Iran has only attacked one naval vessel this past week, it does not take a gambler to bet that they will attack others in the future.

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In November 2015, tragedy struck the heart of France when 130 people were ruthlessly murdered in a series of coordinated Islamic State terrorist attacks. One of the victims was Nohemi Gonzalez, an American student studying abroad, who was dining with a group of friends at a restaurant in Paris. One may wonder, how could such a deadly attack have occurred?

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Simply put, terrorists have tragically learned to exploit the fruits of western ingenuity in an endless pursuit of western destruction. Terrorist groups are actively utilizing social media sites to further their bloodthirsty activities, and Section 230 of the United States Communications Decency Act (CDA) limits the potential liability facing these companies.

In Gonzalez v. Google, Nohemi Gonzalez's surviving family members sued Google for providing material support to ISIS and for providing ISIS with a tool with which they commit terrorism. They further argued that YouTube provided the terror group with a powerful mechanism to communicate with its members. This complaint was largely dismissed because, under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, Google is not considered a publisher and therefore cannot be held liable for content posted by third parties.

The CDA was passed in 1996 and was primarily intended to help ensure the growth of the internet during its infancy and to protect innovation. In essence, the CDA's Section 230 limits social media sites' liability for content posted by third party users. While both Republicans and Democrats alike have attacked Section 230 in recent years, the impact of Section 230 on terrorist activities has failed to attract the attention that it deserves.

In 2015, Professor Gabriel Weimann of Haifa University found that "ninety percent of terrorist activity on the internet takes place using social networking tools." Al-Qaida, Hamas, and ISIS have all utilized social media sites to spread hate-filled, violent messages and to recruit new members. Experts have also warned that certain internet platforms can help orchestrate terrorist operations, allowing terror groups to increase the effectiveness of their deadly attacks. While the internet rose to prominence in the 1990's, no one could have imagined the powerful force that it would one day become.

Even after terrorist groups have proven that they are determined to exploit social media sites for their own benefit, the laws and regulations in place today fail to effectively counter this behavior. In Force v. Facebook, the plaintiffs alleged that Facebook provided material support to Hamas, a US-designated terrorist group. In Force, the plaintiffs included the families of American citizens who were the victims of terrorist attacks in the Middle East between 2014 and 2016. Although the court recognized the plaintiff's argument and was sympathetic to their position, it ultimately held that the text of Section 230 at the moment prevented Facebook from facing liability.

Section 230 is acting as a shield for social media sites that have assisted known terrorists to extinguish the lives of innocent men, women, and children around the world. Recognized terror groups are actively using social media sites to recruit new members, communicate with their followers, and, ultimately, to plan future terror attacks. We must amend Section 230 of the CDA to establish that social media sites will be held accountable if they assist terror groups in any way.

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In 1939, Adolph Hitler openly declared his intent to murder all European Jewry. Only a few years later, the world watched in silence as the soil of Europe became quenched with the blood of the Jews during World War II. Less than a century later, the Ayatollah's of Iran have publicly proclaimed their desire to destroy both the United States and the State of Israel and are determined to sow chaos throughout the entire Middle East.

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The ayatollah's relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons, and their unwavering support of terrorism around the world, prove that they dream of one day making this goal a reality. While my grandparents miraculously survived the tentacles of the Nazi regime in Europe, I refuse to stand in silence and allow my children to face another murderous, dictatorial regime. All economic, diplomatic, and, if necessary, military capabilities must be used to reign in this bloodthirsty regime and ensure the safety of not only the United States and the State of Israel, but the entire world.

Iran embraces a radical ideology that is rooted in a hatred for all western culture, whereby the United States is called the Great Satan and Israel is named the Little Satan. This burning hatred has resulted in Iranian support for terror groups throughout the Middle East and the world – such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and South America, Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis in Yemen, and radical Shia militias in Iraq. Iran utilizes each of these terror groups to threaten the United States, Israel, and countless other Arab monarchies in the Middle East, while also avoiding direct responsibility for their actions.

History has proven that all forms of appeasement with Iran will only increase the danger that they pose to the world. After Ronald Reagan chose to sell weaponry to Iran, Iran bombed a U.S. embassy in 1984; after Bill Clinton failed to respond to the Khobar Towers bombing and expressed hopes for conciliation, Iran forcibly repressed freedom of speech; and after Barack Obama established the Iran nuclear deal in 2015, Iran supported President Assad of Syria in a bloodthirsty war which led to the death of over 400,000 Syrian citizens.

How many innocent men, women, and children will have to die before the world realizes that appeasing Iran has never worked?

Furthermore, any trade with Iran provides them with the funding to support terror groups around the world. As a result of the sanctions imposed by the Trump Administration, Iran's defense budget decreased by 28%. Just as human life on earth will cease to exist without oxygen, so too, terrorism will cease to exist without money. Sanctions must be used to cut off the supply of oxygen that is giving life to the terrorists who have dedicated their lives to destroying Western society.

Finally, the Iranian nuclear deal was established in the name of appeasement and has proven to be an absolute failure. The deal essentially provided Iran with access to billions of dollars in exchange for a promise that they will halt their nuclear program. Most alarmingly, the nuclear deal provided a sunset clause, which permits Iran to pursue nuclear weapons after a certain time period.

Even after promising to do so, Iran has entirely rejected many International Atomic Energy Agency investigators from inspecting Iranian nuclear plants. After years of uncertainty, in 2018, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed to the world definitive proof that Iran maintained a clandestine nuclear program ever since the nuclear deal came into existence.

Iran must be stopped from obtaining nuclear weapons and continuing to terrorize the Middle East and the World. I urge you to denounce the actions of this Iranian regime and to choose freedom over tyranny, light over darkness, and, ultimately, life over death. Iran must be stopped before it is too late. While the world watched in silence as millions were slaughtered at the hands of the murderous Nazi regime, we must not wait in silence to learn what the Iranian ayatollah's will do to the world today.

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Established in 1949, UNRWA was originally intended only to assist the Palestinians for a short period of time. After continuous extensions far beyond its original mandate, this agency now provides any registered Palestinian refugee with schooling, healthcare, social services, and countless other benefits. While UNRWA may seem to support the Palestinians, their actions have proven that their ultimate goal is to harm the State of Israel.

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Firstly, UNRWA schools strive to instill a blatantly anti-Semitic and anti-Israel ideology in their students. UNRWA schoolbooks praise terrorism, insist that Palestine must be liberated, and have replaced the State of Israel with the State of Palestine on their maps. Rather than recognizing recent archeological excavations, UNRWA students are taught to reject any Jewish connection to the land of Israel.

Just as education has the power to lift up an entire society, so too, a corrupt educational system has the power to tear it apart. As Khaled al Hassan, a founder of Fatah and an early advisor to Yasser Arafat, once stated, "while Fatah's terror cells could only train one agent at a time, UNRWA schools could train the hearts of the masses."

UNRWA has instituted two policies which, when considered together, acts as a formidable obstacle to resolving the conflict. Unlike all other refugee assistance programs, UNRWA grants refugee status to the descendants of any registered Palestinian. This essentially means that even if the great-grandchild of a registered refugee is born and raised in New York, they will still be deemed a refugee. As expected, the number of registered refugees has skyrocketed - from 726,000 in 1949, to over 5,000,000 today.

Secondly, UNRWA strongly supports the Palestinian demand to have a right of return to the entire land of Israel. With an estimated population of 9,000,000 Israeli citizens, consisting of less than 7,000,000 Jews, if Israel were to ever agree to this demand the Jewish State would cease to exist. This demand for a "right of return," combined with the skyrocketing number of refugees, has been a roadblock on the pathway to establishing peace.

Finally, while UNRWA publicly declares itself to be dedicated to improving the lives of the Palestinians, it privately maintains close ties to Hamas, a known terrorist organization. Both Suhail al-Hindi, a one-time leader of UNRWA, and Muhammad al-Jamassi, an UNRWA staffer, have been elected to leadership positions within this terror group.

According to UN Watch, a leading watchdog group, terror tunnels were discovered below UNRWA schools, and, in Gaza, schools have a representative designated to recruiting students into Hamas. Furthermore, terror groups have used these buildings to store rockets, thereby forcing each child to act as a human shield and to live in perpetual danger. Rather than acting for the betterment of the Palestinian people, UNRWA has allowed terrorist organizations to manipulate innocent children in an endless war against the State of Israel.

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UNRWA continues to receive funding, even while actively working to prevent any form of peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. After almost seventy years in existence, it is time that we do our part in bringing an end to this conflict. UNRWA must be dismantled for the sake of preventing the loss of any more innocent lives and to protect the Palestinian children from receiving a hate-filled, anti-Semitic education. Without the continuous interference of UNRWA, all Israelis and Palestinians will have a greater chance of one day living side by side, in peace.

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The Hague-based ICC was established in 2002 under the Rome Statute, and both the United States and Israel have refused to become members, fearing that the court will be used as a weapon to fulfill a political agenda.

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Both the authority of the ICC and the legitimacy of this investigation have been questioned on the world stage: eight members of The Hague, including Canada, Germany, and Australia, have formally objected to this probe. The US – whose top diplomat Mike Pompeo recently slammed the ICC as a "kangaroo court"  – has launched its own investigation into alleged corruption by ICC officials.

For the ICC to begin an investigation, at least one of the parties involved must be a member of The Hague, and only states can become signatories to the Rome Statute. It would seem that because Israel is not a member and there is no sovereign Palestinian state, it would be impossible for an investigation to occur. But acting against all apparent logic, the ICC has allowed the Palestinians to be considered a member, even though a Palestinian state does not exist.

As the ICC prepared to investigate Israel, it has been reported that its jurists have been working with a Palestinian Authority committee which included known terrorists. Chief Palestinian Negotiator Saeb Erekat has stated that members of Hamas, representatives from the Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), and countless other groups were included on this committee. In what world is it acceptable for the ICC, which is supposed to investigate criminals, to consult with terrorists prior to opening an investigation?

Furthermore, this investigation has been strongly influenced by complaints from anti-Israel Organizations, such as Addameer and Al-Haq, which are directly affiliated with terror groups. According to a report by the Israeli Ministry of Strategic Affairs and Public Diplomacy, Addameer's accountant was the leader of a group of terrorists that killed one Israeli citizen and injured two others. Additionally, the Director General of Al-Haq, Shawan Jabarin, has been convicted of recruiting and training members of the PFLP.

There are just two examples of how known terrorists are hiding in plain sight behind legitimate organizations. The promise to maintain impartiality when conducting an investigation has been replaced with the hatred that known terrorists have for the State of Israel.

Lastly, lead ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda was one of the highest officials of a dictatorship that ruthlessly oppressed their citizens. Prior to joining the ICC, Bensouda was the Justice Minister of Gambia, whose former President is accused of orchestrating mass killings, torturing political opponents and raping countless women.

According to the Began-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, victims of human rights abuse have claimed that Bensouda played a crucial role in assisting this dictatorial regime. After openly supporting such terror on her own citizens, Bensouda's judgment cannot be trusted to lead this investigation.

Six years ago, a complaint was filed with the ICC against Turkey, by Shurat HaDin – Israel Law Center, a leading human rights organization, and a Cypriot member of the European Parliament, which contained the identical allegations that Israel faces today. The Office of the Prosecutor refused to act and failed to respond to this complaint. Regardless of political affiliation, all can agree that this blatant hypocrisy proves that the ICC is not acting in the name of justice and, in reality, must be acting with an ulterior motive.

This past year alone, the United Nations passed eighteen resolutions against Israel and only seven against the rest of the world. The BDS movement continues to grow and is determined to strangle the Israeli economy by leading a worldwide boycott of Israeli goods. It is time that we open our eyes and recognize what the ICC's investigation truly represents – the latest attempt to delegitimize, harm, and ultimately destroy the State of Israel.

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