U.S. to send troops and air defense system to Israel

WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — The Pentagon announced the U.S. military will send a Terminal High Altitude Defense battery and about 100 U.S. troops to Israel. The battery is a defensive system that shoots down incoming ballistic missiles.

“To defend Israel,” said President Joe Biden, when asked why he was sending the assistance to the Middle East.

U.S. officials said the missile defense system is in response to Iranian missile strikes on Israel in April and October.

Israel is now at war with two Iran-backed groups. It’s fighting Hamas, the organization responsible for the Oct. 7 attack, in Gaza, and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Over the weekend, Israel struck a hospital courtyard in Gaza, killing at least four people. Israel also traded strikes with Hezbollah. An Israeli strike in Northern Lebanon killed 21. A Hezbollah attack killed four Israeli troops.

“We will continue to strike Hezbollah without mercy everywhere in Lebanon – including Beirut,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Michigan and Georgia have high Arab American populations, and they’re both key states in this year’s election. A poll by the Arab American Institute shows the Biden administration’s handling of the war has lost Democrats support from a group that usually votes in their favor, by a 2-to-1 margin.

This year’s poll shows former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris essentially tied among Arab American voters.

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