Hezbollah dramatically escalated its attacks on Israel today, launching a ballistic missile at Tel Aviv. This is the first time Hezbollah has used a ballistic missile and the closest it has ever come to hitting Tel Aviv.
The Iranian-made missile can carry a payload of over 2,000 pounds. Had it hit Tel Aviv, it could have leveled city buildings and killed scores of Israelis.
But the missile was shot down thanks to Israel’s David’s Sling — the remarkable medium-range missile defense system that can intercept missiles that are too fast for Iron Dome to stop.
Over the past 18 years, AIPAC has successfully lobbied Congress to invest more than $2.4 billion in U.S. funding for David’s Sling. On April 13, the system shot down hundreds of cruise missiles and drones fired by Iran toward Israel. Today, David’s Sling helped save countless lives in central Israel — while Iron Dome continues to intercept hundreds more rockets every day.
After Hezbollah’s missile attack on Tel Aviv, the IDF destroyed the rocket launcher in southern Lebanon. Over the past three days, more than 2,000 Hezbollah targets have been struck across Lebanon — destroying tens of thousands of rockets and missiles that were ready to be launched at Israeli civilians.
Our work is essential for keeping Israelis safe and ensuring Israel has the resources needed to dismantle Hezbollah’s military capabilities.
There is much more work to do, and difficult days are ahead. But together, we are helping to save lives and ensure Israel has what it needs to protect its families and destroy Hezbollah’s capabilities before they can be used against the Jewish state.
NEW AIPAC MEMO
Security Council Resolution 1701: The Diplomatic Solution the U.N. Failed to Implement
The failure of the Lebanese government and the international community to enforce U.N.
Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701 has enabled Hezbollah to significantly expand
its military capabilities, attack Israel, and push
Israel and Lebanon to the brink of a devastating
war.
Today, IDF Chief of the General Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi spoke at a military exercise along Israel’s northern border and warned that the IDF was prepared for a potential ground invasion.
"You hear the jets overhead; we have been striking all day. This is both to prepare the ground for your possible entry and to continue degrading Hezbollah. Today, Hezbollah expanded its range of fire, and later today, they will receive a very strong response. Prepare yourselves."
"The goal is very clear — to safely return the residents of the north," Halevi stated. "To achieve that, we are preparing the process of a maneuver, which means your military boots, your maneuvering boots, will enter enemy territory, enter villages that Hezbollah has prepared as large military outposts, with underground infrastructure, staging points, and launchpads into our territory and carry out attacks on Israeli civilians."
MUST LISTEN
Emergency Episode — OPERATION NORTHERN ARROWS — With Eyal Nadav
Dan Senor Call Me Back Podcast
"To help us better understand the escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah, Nadav Eyal joined us for an emergency episode of the podcast.
Nadav Eyal is a columnist for Yediot. He is one of Israel’s leading journalists. Eyal has been covering Middle-Eastern and international politics for the last two decades for Israeli radio, print and television news."
Drone from Iraq hits Eilat port, injures 2
This evening, Iranian-backed terrorists in Iraq launched two drones at Israel.
One drone hit the Eilat port, injuring two civilians — ages 68 and 28 — and causing damage, while the other drone was successfully intercepted.
This attack further demonstrates the ring of fire Iran has built up around Israel. Over the past year, the Jewish state has confronted Iranian-backed attacks from seven different fronts.
You can see the drone impacting the port in the video below 👇
Families of executed hostages: "Now is the time for decisive, deliberate, meaningful action."
Today, the families of the six hostages executed by Hamas last month published an op-ed in TIME, calling for widespread international action to pressure Hamas to free the remaining hostages.
"Nefarious actors the world over are watching, learning, and planning," they warn. "The implications for global security are much wider than Israel and Gaza. Humanity’s future is at stake. It’s time to use the power you have and do better."
New op-ed: "J Street’s ‘Champions' are Weakening Israel’s Security"
Today, Rabbi David-Seth Kirshner published an op-ed highlighting how J Street aligns itself with members of Congress who consistently attempt to undermine Israel’s security:
"Notably, all of the senators working to stop Israel from receiving the weapons it needs to protect its citizens are endorsed by J Street."
"Inexplicably, J Street – the group that touts itself as 'pro-Israel' – is raising money for the very senators working to isolate Israel and undermine its ability to defend itself from Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, Iran’s nefarious proxies. That is most certainly not mainstream, and it is not pro-Israel…"
"J Street recently claimed it was the 'mainstream voice of Jewish and pro-Israel Americans.' Its embrace of anti-Israel leaders who are working to weaken the U.S.-Israel relationship says otherwise."
Magen David Adom’s new intensive care bus was designed and built based on lessons learned from October 7. It just completed its first mission: transporting premature infants to a protected NICU.
The mission of AIPAC is to encourage and persuade the U.S. government to enact specific policies that create a strong, enduring and mutually beneficial relationship with our ally Israel.
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