The governor of America’s third-largest state is headed to Israel tonight, and the trip couldn’t come at a better time.
That governor, of course, is New York’s Andrew Cuomo. His presence — and that of other state pols — will put the Empire State firmly behind Israel as it endures Hamas’ unprovoked attacks and ongoing threats.
“As Hamas and other terrorist organizations continue to threaten Israel,” Cuomo said, “now is the time to deliver that message of solidarity in person.”
We couldn’t agree more. Never mind that backing Israel (and Ireland and Italy) is standard politics in New York, particularly in an election year. This state, after all, is home to more Jews — 1.8 million — than any other.
Never mind, too, that the trip may deflect negative attention from Cuomo for the way he handled an ethics panel he set up and then suddenly disbanded.
The fact is that Israel has endured harsh, unjustified criticism, often driven by anti-Semitism, as it’s acted to defend itself from Hamas’ rocket fire and to destroy its terror tunnels. It needs all the support it can get.
Yet many of Cuomo’s fellow Democrats, and even our own government in Washington, have not always shown the kind of unequivocal backing our closest and most democratic Middle East ally deserves.
Meanwhile, Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into Israel in just the past few weeks, terrorizing civilians. It has used its tunnel network to stage more attacks.
As the state that suffered the worst terror hit in US history, New York can certainly stand in solidarity with Israel. Good for Cuomo for recognizing that.