From a young age, my mom and dad taught me that the Bible teaches us to pray for the Holy Land of Israel. In the face of brazen and callous attacks from those hell bent on the inhalation of the Jews, I pray for God’s chosen people even more today.

Israel has been the victim of many horrific attacks in the last six months – most recently by the nation of Iran. They are the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism and openly profess hatred for democracy, Freedom, and basic human rights.

I am calling on the Biden Administration to stand up for these shared principles and hold Iran accountable for their heinous acts.

Unfortunately and inexplicably, not everyone agrees.

Since the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7th, 2023, antisemitism has been on the rise around the world, including right here in the United States. We have seen antisemitic acts of hate in places of work, in kids’ schools, and on college campuses. There has been footage of people cheering when the news broke that Iran attacked Israel. We have people chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” People are burning the American flag and instead waving the flag of Hamas, a known terrorist organization.

Anti-Israel protestors have also blocked bridges and roads in major cities across the country – from blocking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, to stopping traffic in New York City and Chicago. This is against the law, and these individuals should be held accountable.

It’s astounding how foolish these antisemitic, Anti-America “protestors” are. We are so deeply blessed to live in this great country. The reality is, if these ignorant people tried to voice a complaint that was at odds with any of the governments in the terrorist nations they support, they’d be tortured or killed.  America uniquely affords us the Freedom of speech, the Freedom to practice any religion we want, and the Freedom to assemble and protest. But rather than appreciating those privileges, these protestors are burning Old Glory and opting instead to wave the flag of terrorists who would certainly never grant them the same Freedoms.

South Dakota proudly stands with Israel. We have never turned our back on the Holy Land, and we certainly are not going to start now. I was proud to sign historic legislation this session to stop antisemitic acts of hatred in our state. The bill clearly defines antisemitism and makes it easier to prove when discriminatory conduct is motivated by antisemitism. This important and impactful legislation will ensure the safety of Jewish people in our state and strengthen South Dakota’s anti-discrimination laws.

Since signing that bill into law, my office has been inundated with antisemitic hatred and even violent threats. But we will stand firm. I hope that bill can serve as model legislation for other states. It’s time for leaders to step up and do all that we can to protect our Jewish communities from the devastating hate we see happening across our country and around the world.

I hope you will join me in praying for Israel. I pray for the strength of God’s chosen people. And I pray for the peace of Jerusalem.