On Sunday, Michael McCaul, the House Committee on Foreign Affairs chairman, expressed concern that other terrorist organizations in the Middle East, such as the Taliban and Hezbollah, would join the ongoing Palestinian offensive on Israel.
McCaul worries that the confrontation between Hamas and Israel could become a full-scale war. From what he sees, the Taliban openly supports fighting the Zionists and freeing Jerusalem. McCaul expressed grave concern over the matter on Dana Bash’s State of the Union program on CNN.
The Taliban’s August 2021 takeover of Afghanistan has been under constant scrutiny by McCaul’s panel. His worries extended to Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon to Israel’s north.
But what keeps McCaul up at night is the possibility that this will spark a broader Islamist fight against Zionism; Israeli and Hezbollah forces already have clashed, fueling fears of a full-scale, multi-front conflict. The Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, lying close to Israel’s western coast, has Hezbollah’s support.
On the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Hamas launched an unexpected strike on Saturday. Israel’s defense and intelligence services were taken by surprise.
In response, Israel’s cabinet used Article 40 Aleph, officially declaring war for the first time since 1973.
McCaul has always stood behind Israel and blamed Iran for the Jewish state’s long history of conflict.
Due to the recent resignation of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), the House of Representatives is currently being led by Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC). McCaul admitted that removing the speaker was not his idea.
He warned that he found it risky and a bad message to give to our enemies.
A full-fledged speaker must be appointed next week, as the Texas lawmaker stressed, so that legislation denouncing the attack on Israel and possibly granting cash to replace its Iron Dome defense system can be brought to the House floor.
The Republican candidates for speaker of the House will participate in a forum on Tuesday, and a vote will be held on Wednesday.
