A Closer Look: An Ounce of Prevention: The Necessity of Proactive U.S. Policy in the Middle East

In 1735, one of our Republic’s founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, wrote in the Pennsylvania Gazette the now often-used phrase: “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Approximately 200 years earlier, Niccolò Machiavelli, in The Prince, warned that when threats are identified well in advance, they can be swiftly addressed. However, if allowed to metastasize to the point where everyone recognizes them, remedies become limited at best. 

This is especially true in the realm of national security, where unchecked threats can escalate into full-blown crises, as we have painfully witnessed in the Middle East, particularly following the October 7, 2023, terrorist attacks against Israel, where the death of more than 30 Americans seems to have been downplayed.  Despite the significant loss of American lives, the Administration's response has appeared muted, failing to prioritize both justice for the victims and the broader strategic interests of the United States.

As the Biden-Harris Administration attempts to place blame on the Government of Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu for the growing insecurity and the recent murder of hostages by HAMAS, including Americans, the record shows that U.S. policies, particularly under the Obama-Biden-Harris administrations, contributed to or enabled an increase in the threat and capabilities of HAMAS, other terrorist groups, and their state sponsor of terrorism, Iran.

For decades, some of us opposed the Clinton, Bush, and Obama-Biden administrations over the misuse of taxpayer funds funneled through foreign aid to entities like HAMAS, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), UNRWA, Hizballah, and others. Our aim was not only to address immediate concerns but to prevent the escalation of risks to U.S. national security and interests.

When the Palestinian people “elected” Hamas, I drafted the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act for my former boss, then-Middle East Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, to block U.S. funding to and enabling of this terrorist organization amidst the U.S.-led ‘Global War on Terror.’ The final bill, though strong, was weakened by escape clauses inserted or demanded by then-Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Joe Biden and certain senior officials within the George W. Bush National Security Council.

We also utilized Congress's oversight authority and the ‘power of the purse’ to support and empower Palestinian leaders such as economist Salam Fayyad while imposing strict prohibitions and congressional holds on various funding streams for the West Bank and Gaza. Only funds for verifiable security measures, activities in Area C, or strictly humanitarian purposes—confirmed in consultation with trusted regional allies—were allowed.