Suozzi visits Israel, tells Hamas-loving Americans: Get educated

When Tom Suozzi was asked what he’d tell young Americans marching in support of Hamas, he responded: “Get educated.”

Suozzi spoke on Friday to Jewish-media reporters, via Zoom during a visit to Israel. He’s competing against Nassau Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip — a former IDF soldier — to fill George Santos’ 3rd Congressional District seat in a special North Shore election on Feb. 13.

“Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and other enemies of Israel have been miseducating people — especially young people — for a long time,” he said. “This is a painful, difficult process, but Israel’s got to stop Hamas and we should be supporting them unequivocally.”

“Hamas is not some random, loose coalition of desert fighters,” said the Democrat, who served three terms in Congress before giving up his seat to challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul in last year’s gubernatorial primary. “They’re a sophisticated, disciplined and focused terror army that is set on the destruction of Israel and the murder of Jews.”

He observed that Israelis were “very grateful to the United States and to the president, specifically, because he’s been so resolute and … I didn’t get any impression that they feel like their hands are going to be tied.”

“You know, when we had to stop al-Qaeda, and when we had stopped Osama bin Laden, and when we had to stop ISIS, we didn’t want to hear people trying to tie our hands,” he continued.

During his visit, Suozzi toured the Kfar Aza kibbutz less than two miles from the Gaza border, where on Oct. 7 around 70 Hamas terrorists murdered more than 50 residents — some burned alive, beheaded or dismembered — and took hostages.

He also met with the family of hostage Omer Neutra, a 22-year-old Plainview native who attended the Solomon Schechter School on Long Island before moving to Israel and joining the IDF when he was 18.

“I just can’t imagine what they’re going through,” Suozzi said, recounting his meeting with Omer’s parents. “You know, with my kids, if I was that helpless I don’t know how to get through the day.”

Despite the atrocities committed by Hamas, he emphasized that the war being fought by Israel “is not about retribution, not about revenge. This is about stopping Hamas. And my support for the State of Israel is unequivocal.”

Suozzi said that people in his district are “much more concerned, as a general rule, about the cost of living and the economy and the immigration crisis. But there are some people for whom what’s going on in Israel is the number one issue. A part of my being here is to bring attention to the fact that this is important to me.”

With Long Island voters moving rightward — all county officials and members of Congress are now Republican — and with many Democrats on the national stage either openly supporting the Palestinians over Israel or at least wavering in their support of the Jewish state, why should voters concerned about Israel vote to elect a Long Island Democrat?

First, Suozzi denied the extent of the Democratic defection from Israel, then he argued that with Democrat support for Israel on the wane, it’s better elect a pro-Israel Democrat than one more pro-Israel Republican.
He said anti-Israel Democrats constitute “a small percentage, they just happen to get a lot of press and wreck the brand,” and that “90% or 95% support Israel.”

“Right now, another pro-Israel Republican is not going to do much for you, when you need strong, outspoken, pro-Israel Democrats that will ensure or help to ensure that support of Israel by the United States of America remains bipartisan,” he said.

“We don’t know who’s going to be in power next year, or the year after that, in five years or 10 years from now. One of the keys to the long-term future success of Israel is to continue to maintain strong bipartisan support for the State of Israel.”

Asked whether he’d be in Israel now if he wasn’t running for Congress, Suozzi acknowledged that he would not be.

“My wife wouldn’t want me to do it,” he quipped. “She didn’t want me to do this because she’s concerned with how dangerous it is. But I thought it was important, as a leader, that I send a very clear message that I’m in solidarity with Israel, as I always have been. I’ve been to Israel several times before — and I’m sure I will be again in the future.”