Polk Times

Congressman Scott Franklin of Florida's 18th district issued a statement on the first anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. The attacks, backed by Iran, resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people, including over 40 Americans, during the Jewish holiday Shemini Atzeret. Congressman Franklin described October 7 as "the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust." He urged remembrance for those who lost their lives and expressed support for families still grieving.

Franklin highlighted that nearly 100 hostages remain imprisoned, including four American citizens. "We must bring them home," he stated. Over the past year, Iranian proxies have continued operations that terrorize Israel and destabilize the region. Franklin pointed to Iran's ballistic missile attacks on April 13 and October 1 as evidence of Tehran's intentions against Israel.

He emphasized that each day Iran moves closer to acquiring a nuclear weapon threatens Israel's existence. "Israel has every right to defend itself—up to and including strikes into Iran to dismantle their nuclear program," Franklin said. He called for unwavering U.S. support for Israel, which he described as America's staunch ally and the only democracy in the Middle East.

"Today, one year later, America’s commitment is the same: we stand firmly with Israel,” Franklin concluded.