In a recent display of solidarity, Congressman Derrick Van Orden (R-WI-03) joined forces with the Israel Heritage Foundation (IHF) while on his personal fact-finding trip to Israel aimed at supporting the Israeli people and soldiers in their darkest hour.
During his independent mission, Rep. Van Orden witnessed the stark realities faced by those on the ground as he encountered Rabbi David Katz, who serves as the Executive Director of IHF.
Founded in 1974 by Holocaust survivors, the nonprofit organization, under the leadership of Dr. Joseph Frager and Rabbi Katz, works to strengthen Israel’s sovereignty and battle antisemitism.
Rabbi Katz played a crucial role in facilitating visits to key sites, as the two visited Magen David Adom, Israel’s nonprofit emergency medical service; Yad Vashem, Israel’s official Holocaust Museum; and Israel’s iconic Western Wall.
One poignant moment shared by Rabbi Katz highlighted the harrowing experience of a young soldier named Danny, whose life was irrevocably changed following a violent encounter with Hamas terrorists:
I met Danny in one hospital room. He was only 20 years old … and was shot in the foot by a Hamas terrorist. He fell down and called for help but no help came for over eight hours. So he took his undershirt and tied it around the wound as a tourniquet to prevent bleeding and contaminating his body. When he finally arrived at the hospital, he was told that there was no oxygen or blood flow in the foot as a result. They were forced to amputate his foot. He is now damaged for life.
Rabbi Katz described accompanying Rep. Van Orden at Magen David Adom (MDA), stating the congressman was “determined to do something positive” for the IDF and MDA, went to “every dispatcher, shook his hand and thanked him for his outstanding work,” and even donated blood.
Rabbi Katz, overcome with emotion at the gesture, remarked, “Here is this congressman, who just lost his 32-year-old daughter to cancer two months ago, and he is giving blood. Despite his personal pain, Rep. Van Orden didn’t want to give up his trip to Israel to see the land and the people.”
“Even in his own suffering, he wants to feel the pain of the people of Israel,” he added.
The congressman’s presence during his independent fact-finding trip provided a morale boost to locals, reflecting a profound commitment to Israeli-American relations and laying the groundwork for ongoing collaboration and support.
Following his in-depth interactions with the Israeli military and government officials, and visits to devastated communities in Southern Israel, Rep. Van Orden expressed his profound shock at the horrific scenes he encountered.
He emphasized the undeniable brutality showcased in the graphic videos of Hamas atrocities, highlighting the urgency of acknowledging the reality that “people are denying that Israelis are being slaughtered … Democrats are trying to downplay what’s been done.”
The severity of the violence left a deep impact on the congressman, a former Navy SEAL with extensive combat experience, who remarked, “I have multiple combat tours around the world as a Navy Seal, and this is, by far and away, the most shocking and horrific thing I have ever been exposed to.”
Motivated by his experiences, Rep. Van Orden is now initiating a Republican House caucus to maintain direct communication with his Israeli governmental counterparts.
His plan encompasses not just backing the House’s upcoming appropriation bill to aid Israel’s defense efforts but also actively addressing the noticeable gaps in Israel’s medical system to enhance their wartime medical response.
The Wisconsin Republican had announced that his decision to visit Israel in response to its crisis was to gather firsthand information to refute denials of the ongoing atrocities by some members of the Democratic Party and others.
In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News, Rabbi Katz expressed being “grateful to meet with Congressman Van Orden during his personal trip to Israel” and being touched by his support for the Israeli people.
He also noted that his group was “honored to be in Israel standing with the Israeli people” during such challenging times.
“We will never forget what we saw, the stories we heard, and the families we comforted during our visit, where we visited soldiers at bases and in the hospital to help boost their morale and to let them know they are not alone in this war,” he said.
A baby stroller along with other personal belongings are left on the side of the road next to a car after multiple civilians were killed days earlier in an attack by Hamas militants near the border with Gaza. (Photo by Alexi J. Rosenfeld/Getty Images)
The matter comes after the worst terrorist attack in Israel’s history, which saw some 2,500 terrorists burst into Israel by land, sea, and air and gun down participants at an outdoor music festival while others went door-to-door hunting, torturing, shooting, and kidnapping Jewish men, women, and children in local towns.
The attack resulted in more than 1,400 dead inside the Jewish state, over 5,300 more wounded, and at least 239 hostages of all ages taken.
The vast majority of the victims are civilians and include dozens of American citizens.
In the wake of the massacre, the global Jewish community has rallied in an outpouring of support, with IHF leading the charge in providing immediate assistance.
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.