US Rep. Randy Fine (R-Florida), a staunch pro-Israel voice, has been visiting Israel this week, and his message to the government is crystal clear: Stop apologizing and trying to please international critics; instead, focus on winning the war in Gaza.
“Wars must end,” he told The Jerusalem Post. “Someone has to win, and someone has to lose. That’s how World War II ended. That’s how World War I ended. Israel’s problem is it stops wars without finishing the job.”
Fine, one of the most vocal Jewish Republicans in the US House of Representatives, this week met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and other senior officials.
While declining to reveal the content of his closed-door meeting with Netanyahu, he said it was ultimately up to the prime minister to decide how the war is conducted.
Nevertheless, Fine made no secret of his own views.
“I fully support Israel doing whatever it needs to do to get those 50 hostages home and ensure that Hamas is no longer in charge of Gaza,” he said.
Fighting two wars: military and propaganda
Fine said the battlefield was only half of the war. Israel is dangerously behind in the other front, which is the information war, he said.
“As strongly as Israel is winning the military war, it’s losing the propaganda war,” he said. “Muslim terrorists are good at lying. They’re willing to lie, and the world is willing to believe them. Why? Because of antisemitism.”
Fine recounted being interrupted by anti-Israel protesters disrupting his speeches both at congressional hearings and at political events in Florida.
“Israel is expected to do things no military in the history of the world has ever been asked to do,” he said. “You can never satisfy the unsatisfiable, so stop trying.”
No one is truly starving in Gaza, except for the hostages, Fine said, adding that international media outlets were spreading falsehoods.
“Israel is doing more to support its enemies than any country in the history of the world,” he said. “It’s not the facts that are the problem; it’s [the] telling [of] the story.”
Asked if he had any advice for Israel in this public-relations battle, Fine cited Israeli military culture.
“Go to an Israeli army base,” he said. “You’ll see soldiers heating food in microwaves, not dining halls. Why? Because they’re focused on staying alive, not comfort. And just like they don’t prioritize gourmet food, they don’t prioritize winning the information war. But they should. The facts are on Israel’s side.”
'Stop Trying to Please Jew-Haters'
Fine did not mince words about international institutions and left-leaning media outlets, accusing them of being driven by deep-rooted antisemitism.
“There’s a disease in America: conservative politicians who want to be liked by The New York Times,” he said. “No matter what they do, they’ll never be liked. It’s the same with Israel; stop trying to win over the UN or Amnesty International. They will never like you.”
While calling for less appeasement of international critics, Fine also said Israel should not remain silent.
“Do what’s right, but also forcefully tell the truth about what’s happening,” he said.
Support from the GOP—and Trump
Fine rejected claims that Republican support for Israel was eroding, especially after several right-wing commentators and influencers, including Tucker Carlson, voiced skepticism about US backing for Israel.
“Look, there are 220 Republicans in the House,” he said. “Two of them are antisemites. The rest? They love Israel. In the Senate, all 53 Republicans have stood with Israel. So, yes, the haters are loud, but they’re a tiny minority.”
Fine attributed much of the online anti-Israel sentiment to foreign influence campaigns.
“Some of these influencers are being paid by Qatar,” he said. “The rest are old-fashioned neo-Nazis who’ve been around since I was a kid.”
Regarding President Donald Trump, Fine said: “Israel has never had a better friend in the White House – not even Harry Truman. Trump has Israel’s back.”
Time for sovereignty?
As more Republicans speak openly in favor of Israeli sovereignty in parts of Judea and Samaria, Fine said the idea was no longer a fringe notion.
“I dined this week with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said that Judea and Samaria belong to Israel,” he said. “That’s unprecedented.”
“There’s a growing Judea and Samaria caucus in Congress,” Fine said. “That sentiment is only getting stronger. Gaza proved ‘land for peace’ doesn’t work. Israel pulled Jews out of Gaza, even their graves, and handed it over, and what did they get in return?”
“I don’t think you can make peace with people who take it as a religious faith that they have to kill you,” he concluded.