By Moshe Phillips
Jim Inhofe, the former long-serving U.S. Senator from Oklahoma, passed away on July 9. Inhofe was a former Mayor of Tulsa, an Army veteran, committed family man, and a strong supporter of Israel. Inhofe’s commitment to the Iron Dome and other vitally important Senate initiatives that strengthened Israel have been completely absent from the many articles celebrating his career and marking his passing. In this small space, I will attempt to rectify that.
Displaying hakaras hatov (gratitude for the good deeds done to you) is not just encouraged in Judaism, but demanded. And Jim Inhofe did many good things for Israel that should never be forgotten.
Senator James Inhofe seemed to innately know that any American who denies the eternal truth of Jewish ownership of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem ignores history and denies the Bible (Torah) is the Divine word of G-d. Belief that Jerusalem is and should always remain the undivided capital of Israel is historically, religiously, and politically correct.
During his time in the Senate, Inhofe served as chair of the Armed Services Committee and showed unwavering support for Israel in that powerful committee.
Here’s a brief albeit incomplete list of Inhofe’s Senate work in support of Israel from just a portion of his last term in office:
In 2021, Inhofe was one of 44 senators who signed a letter to President Biden stating: “…we also urge you to unequivocally support Israel’s right to defend itself against any and all terrorist attacks.”
Additionally, in 2021, Inhofe and Senator Bill Hagerty introduced an amendment to the COVID-19 Budget Resolution designed to ensure that the U.S. Embassy in Israel remains in Jerusalem. Ninety-seven senators voted to pass Inhofe’s pro-Jerusalem amendment. On October 30, 2021 Inhofe tweeted: “@SenatorHagerty and I secured an amendment earlier this year to prevent a change in policy. We just introduced the Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law of 2021 to protect the law and ultimately ensure Jerusalem remains the capital of Israel permanently.”
In 2020, Inhofe co-sponsored legislation that called on the U.S. State Department to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group.
Here are some other important examples from earlier in Senator Inhofe’s career:
In 2009 Inhofe’s work to remove the waiver in Jerusalem Embassy law was widely praised with the Orthodox Union, stating that it “wishes to thank the original co-sponsors of this important piece of legislation including, Senators Cornyn, Inhofe and Kyl.”
In 2012, Inhofe introduced an amendment to cut assistance to the Palestinians by 50% as well U.S. payments to the UN if the effort by the Palestinians to gain recognition as a non-member observer state succeeded in the General Assembly.
In 2018, Inhofe co-introduced a letter that was later signed by all 100 senators, insisting that the Department of Homeland Security fast-track Israel’s full membership in the Global Entry program.
Along with his stance on the embassy in Jerusalem, the other crucial role Inhofe played in strengthening the US-Israel alliance was his championing of the Iron Dome. A letter he co-wrote to colleagues in December 2012 is just one example. “As witnessed by the recent attacks on Israel from Gaza, the continued joint efforts of the United States and Israel in missile defense systems is critical to protecting this close U.S. ally and American interests in that region,” Inhofe wrote.
That 2012 letter was related to a bill that authorized the funding for Iron Dome as well as other defense programs for Israel. Can you imagine the additional devastation that Israel would have faced after October 7th if the Iron Dome was not part of its defense arsenal?
Who will take up Israel’s cause in future Senates? No doubt some current senators may come to mind, and they all deserve praise, but it is imperative that all Americans who love Israel make sure that more senators like them and Inhofe join their ranks. n
Moshe Phillips is a commentator on Jewish affairs whose writings appear regularly in the American and Israeli press. He is a past board member of the American Zionist Movement and served as a delegate to the 38th World Zionist Congress.