Qassem Soleimani's funeral in Kerman, Iran
Qassem Soleimani's funeral in Kerman, IranReuters

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Iranian funded terror must be stopped. While the American media attacked President Trump for killing Qassem Soleimani, they blatantly chose to ignore that Soleimani was the leader of Iran’s Quds Force, a U.S. designated terrorist organization responsible for wounding hundreds of American and Israeli citizens. To paraphrase United States Senator Mike Lee, Soleimani was likely responsible for any wounded veteran seen in the streets of America today. Since the Ayatollah’s came to power in 1979, Iran has worked to harm and antagonize both the United State and Israel at any moment they can.

The world was first introduced to the wrath of the Ayatollah’s radical ideology in 1979, as Iranian Revolutionaries took control of the American embassy and held fifty-three American citizens hostage. These hostages were held for 444 days and, tragically, eight American servicemen lost their lives in a failed rescue attempt.

The Iranian hostage crisis represented the hatred that the Ayatollah’s felt when they first came to power, and that hatred continues until this day. An Israeli government official has recently revealed that Iran currently spends at least $7 billion a year in support of terrorism abroad. This includes the terror group Hezbollah, located in Lebanon, Hamas, located in Gaza, and pro-Iranian militias located in Iraq and Syria. Iran is using these terrorist organizations to weaken the presence of the United States in the Middle East, and ultimately hopes to establish a de facto Iranian state at the Israeli border.

While the Iranian citizens lack basic amenities living in a crippled economy, the message to the world is clear: the Iranian government has chosen to invest in terrorist organizations abroad rather than investing in their own citizens.

Lastly, Iran, a nation who openly threatens to attack both the United States and Israel, is actively seeking nuclear weapons. Imagine, the same country that literally shot down a passenger plane with a short-range rocket, killing 187 on board, now claims they are responsible enough to obtain nuclear weapons.

Rather than accepting complete responsibility for attacking a passenger plane, Iran chose to blame a “technical error” for this attack. In an instant, 187 men, women, and children perished, leaving behind a gaping hole in the heart of those mourning the loss of a loved one. If this is the damage Iran has caused with only a short-range rocket, imagine the danger in allowing Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon.

I refuse to stand in silence as Iran works to harm the state of Israel. I urge you to take part in the election for the World Zionist Congress, which will be ending on March 11, and to vote for the ZOA Coalition, slate #11. The World Zionist Congress was founded by Theodore Herzl in 1897, is the leading Parliamentary body of the Jewish people, and implements policies that will affect the state of Israel for the next 5 years.

The ZOA Coalition is made of up 27 distinct organizations (such as Students Supporting Israel, World Likud, and Aish Hatorah) that are dedicated to combatting global anti-Semitism and countering those who work to harm the state of Israel at any moment they can. In 2019, the ZOA Coalition initiated every single pro-Israel resolution at the World Zionist Congress. There are only a few days left to vote, and your vote can be the one that decides this election. As a proud Jew and a lifelong supporter of Israel, I urge you to not let the final moments of this election slip away and to help protect the State of Israel by voting for the ZOA Coalition, slate #11.

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