A group of 12 bipartisan lawmakers in the House of Representatives introduced a resolution on Nov. 21 condemning Islamic Jihad for launching rockets toward Israel.
The resolution notes that the State Department designated Islamic Jihad as a terror group in 1997 and that Iran funds Islamic Jihad.
Islamic Jihad fired more than 450 rockets toward Israel from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14 in response to Israel killing Senior Islamic Jihad Commander Baha Abu al-Ata.
Islamic Jihad continued to launch rockets at Israel on Nov. 14 after a ceasefire agreement had been reached between the two sides.
Fifty-eight Israelis were injured and three homes were damaged in the rocket attacks.
“The House of Representatives condemns the illegal and indiscriminate firing of rockets at Israel, supports Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorist groups, commends the United States commitment to Israel’s security, including military assistance for the Iron Dome missile defense system, and reaffirms the United States strong concern with the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza,” the resolution states.
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), one of the co-sponsors of the resolution, said in a statement, “When heinous terrorist groups like Palestinian Islamic Jihad fire hundreds of rockets at innocent civilians in Israel, there should be no question who the United States stands with. We must stand with our historic ally, Israel — the key democracy in the region.”
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.), another co-sponsor, similarly said in a statement, “Like every other sovereign nation, Israel has an inherent right of self-defense and will without hesitation act to protect innocent Israeli citizens who live near the border. We must stand shoulder to shoulder with our greatest ally Israel.”
