"Wars must end. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose,” Fine told The Jerusalem Post.
Republican Congressman Randy Fine, a staunch pro-Israel voice from Florida, is spending this week in Israel - and his message to the Israeli government is crystal clear: stop apologizing, stop trying to please international critics, and focus on winning the war in Gaza.
"Wars must end. Someone has to win, and someone has to lose,” Fine told The Jerusalem Post. “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, has met during his visit with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and other senior Israeli officials.
While declining to reveal the content of his closed-door meeting with Netanyahu, Fine said it is ultimately up to the prime minister to decide how the war is conducted, but he 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.”
Fighting two wars: military and propaganda
But for Fine, the battlefield is only half the war. The other front, he argues, is the information war, one in which, he believes, Israel is dangerously behind.
“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.”
He recounted being interrupted by anti-Israel protesters both at congressional hearings and at political events in Florida, disrupting his speeches.
“Israel is expected to do things no military in the history of the world has ever been asked to do,” Fine said. “You can never satisfy the unsatisfiable. So stop trying.”
He added that no one is truly starving in Gaza - except for the hostages - and accused international media of spreading falsehoods. “Israel is doing more to support its enemies than any country in the history of the world. It’s not the facts that are the problem. It’s telling the story.”
Asked if he had any advice for Israel in this PR battle, Fine pointed to Israeli military culture. “Go to an Israeli army base. You’ll see soldiers heating food in microwaves, not dining halls. Why? Because they’re focused on staying alive, not comfort,” he said. “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, 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.”
Yet, while calling for less appeasement of international critics, Fine also stressed that Israel should not remain silent. “Do what’s right. But also forcefully tell the truth about what’s happening.”
Support from the GOP—and Trump
Fine pushed back on claims that Republican support for Israel is eroding, especially after several right-wing commentators and influencers, including figures like Tucker Carlson, voiced skepticism about US backing for Israel.
“Look, there are 220 Republicans in the House. Two of them are antisemites. The rest? They love Israel,” he said. “In the Senate, all 53 Republicans have stood with Israel. So yes, the haters are loud, but they’re a tiny minority.”
He attributed much of the online anti-Israel sentiment to foreign influence campaigns, saying, “Some of these influencers are being paid by Qatar. The rest are old-fashioned neo-Nazis who’ve been around since I was a kid.”
And what about PresidentDonald Trump?
“Israel has never had a better friend in the White House. Not even Harry Truman,” said Fine. “Trump has Israel’s back.”
Time for sovereignty?
As more Republicans speak openly in favor of Israeli sovereignty in parts of the West Bank, Fine said the idea is no longer fringe. “I dined this week with House Speaker Mike Johnson, who said that ‘Judea and Samaria belong to Israel.’ That’s unprecedented.”
“There’s a growing Judea and Samaria caucus in Congress. That sentiment is only getting stronger,” he noted. “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?”
His conclusion: “I don't think you can make peace with people who take it as a religious faith that they have to kill you.”
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