Barry, I just returned from the Middle East where I witnessed firsthand the terror that the Israelis face from the longstanding attacks by Hamas – rockets launched into Israel causing death, injury and terror.

I was in two Israeli cities – Ashkelon and Sderot – where more than 8,000 Hamas-fired rockets have landed over the years.  During my visit, we were sent to shelters as Hamas continued launching its rockets in those cities. 

I had the opportunity to go to Sderot with Israeli Middle East expert and former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Colonel Raanan Gissin. Colonel Gissin, the Senior Advisor to former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who told me quite clearly that he believes the war Israel is now engaged in is really a war against Iran.  Hamas is fighting this war as the proxy for Iran, he said.

Israel knows that it must remove the terrorists and that is what its campaign has focused on during the past 10 days.  Israel is making progress against an enemy who uses the civilian population in Gaza as a shield – to hide its weapons and its leadership. 

Israel must defend itself.  Even now, Hamas is stepping up its rocket attacks in Israel  and is urging Palestinians to ‘crush’ Israel.

And, now there’s growing pressure at the United Nations from many Arab countries to pass a resolution to condemn Israel.  What’s noteworthy is that none of the resolutions under consideration mention the longstanding and ongoing terror campaign waged by Hamas with its rockets fired at Israeli civilians.

President-elect Obama has said little about the current situation in Gaza saying he won’t make any public comments until he’s inaugurated.  But at the White House today, President Bush accurately singled out Hamas for starting the current conflict by violating an earlier cease-fire. Any new cease-fire, President Bush said “must have the conditions in it so that Hamas does not use Gaza as a place from which to launch rockets.”

Even Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid understands what’s at stake:  “I think what the Israelis are doing is very important,” Reid said. “I think this terrorist organization, Hamas, has got to be put away.”  

That is a priority.