[Baltimore Sun] Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen must stop ‘appeasing and coddling’ Hamas terrorists | GUEST COMMENTARY
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It is hard to believe that one would be forced to ask a sitting senator — especially one from the great state of Maryland — to stop appeasing and coddling terrorists. But that is sadly where we are with Chris Van Hollen, a legislator who has spent months criticizing Israel for defending itself following the massacre perpetrated on its people on Oct. 7, stopping resolutions condemning anti-semitism on college campuses, and doing just about anything he can to poke his finger in the eyes of the Jewish community.
For those who don’t remember or for those who are choosing to forget like Van Hollen, let me take a moment to refresh your memory as to how we got here. On Oct. 7, with absolutely no warning and for no cause, the elected government of Gaza, otherwise known as Hamas, attacked our ally, Israel. Hamas, like Islamic Jihad, al-Qaida, and others are, you know, terrorists. All backed by Iran, who also has attacked Israel with drones, rockets and missiles.
Hamas militants crossed the border into a sovereign nation and brutally murdered, raped and tortured approximately 1,200 individuals that day. They beheaded babies. They gang-raped and tortured young women and mutilated their bodies. They murdered families in their beds. They burned individuals alive. And they kidnapped hundreds of people including infants, having just murdered their parents. And Hamas filmed it all so they could brag about it back home and use it for terror teaching tools.
Israelis, Americans and citizens of many nations were the victims of this brutal massacre. Many of the victims that day were children and young adults who were at a music festival enjoying a beautiful day with friends and family. Senator Van Hollen has children — this easily could have been one of them on Oct. 7. And just in case you didn’t know, Hamas has threatened to do it again and again and again, both against Israel as well as here in America.
As if murder, rape, torture and beheadings were not enough for one day, Hamas also sent thousands of missiles into Israel. Thousands. Had Israel not had the Iron Dome defense system, hundreds of thousands would have died. Or more. And yet, just a few short months later, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen is on a speaking tour to tout his far-left credentials and criticize Israel.
Apparently, Senator Van Hollen believes that Israel should be kinder and gentler in response to the worst atrocity committed against Jews since Adolf Hitler murdered 6 million. He has accused Israel of war crimes, although he clearly does not know the definition. And interestingly, you rarely hear Chris Van Hollen talk about what happened on Oct. 7 or about the hostages that are still not free.
If Senator Van Hollen had his way, he would leave the State of Israel vulnerable to murder and mayhem. And worse yet, he seems not to care at all. He demands a unilateral ceasefire but fails to mention that a ceasefire has been rejected by Hamas. He also fails to say how any new ceasefire might be different than the one that existed on Oct. 6. He demands that Israel provide humanitarian assistance but never once demands that the terrorist government in Gaza do anything at all. You never hear Van Hollen condemn Hamas’ use of human shields or the hiding of missiles in schools and hospitals. He asks for Israel to stop its war to eliminate Hamas but has no plan to ensure that Israel never is victim to such atrocities in the future. The senator shouts about a “two-state solution” but fails to tell you that this has been offered to the Palestinians and rejected by the Palestinians (recall President Clinton’s efforts at the Camp David Summit). And amid his intense criticism of Israel, Van Hollen only briefly mentions the hundreds of kidnapped individuals.
Those still held in captivity include American hostages who apparently are unimportant to Maryland’s senator. For reasons that are difficult to comprehend, Van Hollen seems to have little feeling for the Israelis murdered and held in captivity. But many Americans were also murdered, raped and tortured that day. And more were taken hostage. Five are still in captivity, being held in the tunnels of Gaza and subjected to God-knows what conditions. Their names are Edan Alexander, Sagui Dekel-Chen, Omer Neutra, Hersh Goldberg-Polin and Keith Siegel. I know Senator Van Hollen doesn’t know these Americans and tries hard to ignore them because they do not fit his narrative or objectives. But they are Americans, and Senator Van Hollen and his left-fringe friends should be forced to say their names every single day. Or better yet, perhaps Van Hollen should stop coddling and appeasing the terrorists, do his job and get them home to their families now.
I could go on, but having watched the development of Junior Senator Van Hollen, I am painfully aware that all of this will fall on deaf ears. He and I were colleagues in the Maryland General Assembly, and I admired him back then. I am ashamed to say that today. Van Hollen’s words and actions are painful to a Jewish community reeling from mass murder and torture and a tremendous comfort to terrorists around the world. Ben Cardin has been a tremendous representative to the people of Maryland for many, many years, and his retirement leaves a gaping hole. To paraphrase a line from a past Presidential debate, I know Senator Ben Cardin, and Chris Van Hollen is no Ben Cardin.
Senator Van Hollen has moved to the far fringe of the political left, a place populated by antisemites and partisans. And it is painful to watch. Maryland is known for its middle temperament, but we are currently represented in the United States Senate by anything but that. Since Oct. 7, Senator Van Hollen has spent his time advocating for the abandonment of our closest ally Israel and for the appeasement of murdering terrorists. To say Maryland is not well-represented at this point would be a gross understatement. A time for change is clearly in order.
Bobby Zirkin ([email protected]) is an attorney, and former Maryland state senator and delegate representing Baltimore County.
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