Taliban, Hezbollah could join current Palestinian war on Israel: top US foreign-affairs pol

Other Mideast terror groups such as the Taliban and Hezbollah may join the current Palestinian attack on Israel, warned House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul on Sunday.

When asked about whether the war between the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas and Israel that broke out Saturday could devolve into a “full blown war,” McCaul (R-Texas) said he was worried.

“I’ve seen indications that the Taliban wants to come to liberate Jerusalem, in their words, to fight the Zionists. That’s very concerning,” McCaul told CNN’s “State of the Union.”

Host Dana Bash name-dropped both the Taliban and Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah in her question.

Although the area controlled by the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group, is mired by dire poverty and separated geographically by nations to Israel’s east such as Syria, Iraq and Iran, McCaul didn’t rule out the prospect of it getting involved.

McCaul’s panel has been steadfastly focused on investigating the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Also concerning for him is Hezbollah, which is sitting on more than 100,000 rockets worth of firepower to Israel’s north in Lebanon, he said.

“As it stands right now, the Israeli military capability far outweighs Hamas. And they can take care of this problem. But it will take time to go house to house” to root out the enemy and secure Israel’s territory, McCaul said.

“But if this lights up into a larger jihadist war against the Zionists, if you will — that’s what always keeps me up at night.”

There have already been skirmishes between Israeli and Hezbollah forces, amplifying concerns about a two-front war. Hezbollah is aligned with Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip situated near the west coast of Israel.

Hamas’ surprise attack Saturday, which came a day after the 50-year anniversary of the start of the 1973 Yom Kippur War, caught Israel’s intelligence and defense off-guard.

Israel’s cabinet invoked Article 40 Aleph, marking the nation’s first formally declared war since 1973, in response. 

McCaul has been a steadfast supporter of Israel and placed blame on Iran for the historic violence unfolding in the Jewish state.

At the moment, the House of Representatives is being overseen by Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry (R-NC) because of the sensational ouster of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) last week.

“It’s not ideal. It wasn’t my idea to oust the speaker,” McCaul acknowledged.

“I thought it was dangerous,” he said. “I look at the world and all the threats that are out there, and what kind of message are we sending to our adversaries?”

McCaul noted that there is $3.3 billion in foreign military financing available to the Biden administration as it responds to the burgeoning crises raging half a world away.

The Texas congressman underscored the need to appoint a full-fledged speaker next week to get legislation on the House floor condemning the attack on Israel and potentially appropriate funding to replenish its Iron Dome defense system.

House Republicans are planning to hold a candidate forumTuesday, followed by a vote for speaker Wednesday.

The top two contenders for the top slot are Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Oh.) and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) McCaul declined to endorse one of them.