The Heritage Foundation's national security experts released a statement on the anniversary of the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks in Israel. The attacks, carried out by Hamas, resulted in over 1,200 deaths and are considered the largest terrorist incident in Israel's history.
Victoria Coates, Vice President of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy at Heritage, commented: "October 7th was a brutal and unjustifiable attack not only on the Israeli people but also on Americans and the citizens of many other nations. It was in fact an attack on western civilization writ large."
Coates attributed some responsibility to U.S. foreign policy: "Hamas’ hateful attacks were funded by the feckless regional policy of the Biden-Harris administration," she stated. She urged that "the United States must unequivocally stand with Israel" against threats from Iran.
Robert Greenway, Director of the Allison Center for National Security at Heritage, emphasized remembering victims: “Today and every day, we remember the innocent victims whose lives were tragically taken during the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.”
Greenway criticized current U.S. policies: “The Biden-Harris administration’s reckless foreign policy in the Middle East... has systematically dismantled our deterrence." He warned against abandoning support for Israel: “Abandoning the region’s only democracy and our longstanding ally amid these trying times would be a disaster."
