Tom Urges Support for Israel
Kip Tom, former ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture and chief of the United States Mission to the UN Agencies in Rome, raised a call to action from his home in Leesburg last Friday concerning the humanitarian consequences of the war in Israel.
"It was an unprovoked attack on Israel by Hamas," Tom said of the Oct. 7 surprise attack. "And it's expected that in time Hezbollah will move in from the north as well, so this is a dire situation."
Later that same day, Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon, launched rockets and shells at Israel.
"We need to stand behind Israel at this time," Tom said.
Following the Jewish holiday, Sukkot, also known as the Feast of the Tabernacles, which celebrates the fall harvest and commemorates the Jews wandering of the desert, the nation's agriculture sector was struck with disaster.
On Oct. 7, during Israel's religious celebration, Hamas attacked, killing several and taking hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared war on the Gaza-based terrorist group shortly after. Currently, over 4,000 have been killed on both sides.
Since the start of the war, Israel has laid siege on the Gaza Strip, cutting off all humanitarian food aid that previously supported Palestinians in the area. Hamas has also targeted Israel's food source in attacks of farm communities, according to Navit Zomer of Ynetnews, Israel's online English news source. Dairy farms in five kibbutzim, or Israeli settlements, have been cut off and several cows and dairy farmers are reportedly dead or injured. Also, vegetable farmers have been unable to tend their fields for days.
While training to be an ambassador, Tom learned that a nation's power is based on four key elements: diplomatic abilities to solve issues in any conflict with any nation from around the world, economic strength, informational resources that give the best understanding of what is going on around the world and a strong military.
"Food is a weapon of war," he said, mentioning again the four key elements to a nation's power. "There's actually two others that should be added to that list, and one is energy: a nation without energy cannot function—just think about that for a moment; and a nation without food cannot exist.
"So, if we shut of a nation's access to energy and food, you're using food and energy as a weapon of war. And I would say within the Gaza strip, UN OCHA (United Nations Office of Coordination for Humanitarian Affairs) and those groups have been told to leave, and I understand they are leaving, so it's going to get very desperate for them to access food. At the same time, Egypt has closed its borders and is not allowing the Palestinians in to find refuge. So, the situation gets very complex very quickly.
"I use the example of Yemen. The world food program spends about $140 million a month in Yemen for food security. They don't produce much of anything in Yemen, it's a desert. Oftentimes, that food security, in its last mile, if it gets to its last mile, will have nearly 40% of the food stolen and taken to feed the soldiers or to buy arms in Iran. So, it gets very complicated when we're trying to deliver food aid," he said.
"First of all, tell me who wants to go in there right now and distribute food aid. That's your first challenge. And secondly, how do you know that food aid is getting to the intended recipient? It's a very difficult situation. It's one that I don't know if there is a right or wrong answer to it. When you get into war like this, it's very difficult to understand what right move, and you don't know until you're done."
In his role as ambassador to Rome, Tom never personally went to Gaza, but he said he was very involved in the humanitarian effort through the World Food Program and the Food and Agricultural Organization.
"We did a lot for the Palestinians in terms of food aid. And even today, just eight days ago, we made a new commitment of food aid that went in to the Palestinians. So, there should be food aid there for them," he said.
But they always had to watch where the aid went to and who was involved in distributing it, he added, because there were many instances, not just in Gaza but throughout the Middle East, where terrorist organizations would try to infiltrate organizations receiving aid in order to strip it away and give it to militant groups.
The U.S. Agency of International Development reports 40% of Gaza and the West Bank relies on humanitarian aid. Israel is allowing no new imports into the area.
"I support Israel and what they do," Tom said. "Only they can best manage what they intend to do. I think they've been giving ample warning for people to leave the area."
Israel is also taking hits to its major food sources.
"We've abandoned dairies in kibbutzim that the army won't give us access to," Lior Simcha, CEO of the Milk Producers Assn. told Ynet News on Oct. 12. "We have dairies trying to rehabilitate. We're trying to send in help to care for the cows in kibbutzim like Mefalsim, but the army won't let us anywhere near them. The dairies at Nahal Oz, Alumim and Be'eri are finished. We're talking about thousands of cows. Some have died and others will. It's a disaster."
Ynet News warned of a shortage of carrots and potatoes if the war continues to prevent farmers from entering fields and greenhouses to harvest and plant the winter crops.
"Where we are now is the result of years of neglect. We are the country's vegetable basket, Meir Yfrach, secretary of the Israeli Vegetable Growers Organization told Ynet news. "If it carries on like this, farmers around Gaza will go bankrupt."
The Jewish state also exports 76% of its agriculture to the European Union, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Tom predicts an impact on the movement of food into regions around the borders of Israel, Syria and Lebanon where there are refugee camps, largely due to the potential energy deficiency.
He widened the scope to include the already strained food aid situation with the Russia-Ukraine conflict and limited access to the Black Sea corridor.
"When we think about global food security and this conflict with Gaza, there's no doubt we're seeing an impediment in terms of energy. We're seeing increased prices for energy because of the conflict in the region. At the same time, the United States has reduced its production of energy. In agriculture you need that energy, so we could see inflation in food prices, and that leads to putting those who can't afford the more expensive food at risk," he said.
A decline in food security can be expected overall, Tom said.
If he were to advise Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Tom would urge him to "use every tool that the United States has to makes sure to try bring peace to Israel and to Gaza and within the region and exterminate and remove Hamas from the area."
If allowed to remain in Gaza, Hamas will continue to inflict terror now and in the future, Tom said.
"I feel horrible for the people of Palestine, those who are moderates, who are good people. But I have no sympathy for Hamas. They need to be removed."
Tom, along with a group of ambassadors last week sent a letter to Sens Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Congressmen Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Secretary Blinken and President Joe Biden, urging them to support Israel militarily and work to regain peace in the area.
"We understand the complexities of the situation in the Middle East and the delicate balance required in maintaining regional stability. However, we firmly believe that supporting Israel, a bastion of democracy and shared values, is not only a moral imperative but also vital for the security and stability of the wider Middle East," they wrote.
"We implore you to stand in solidarity with the State of Israel during this unprovoked and devastating attack by Hamas. By providing continuous and robust support, the United States will reaffirm its commitment to democracy, human rights, and the pursuit of peace while sending a resolute message that terrorism will never be tolerated."
Tom also encourages Americans to settle the 2023 Farm Bill in order to reaffirm and strengthen the U.S. food system. Smooth functioning of U.S. agriculture allows the country to continue its role in providing food for the nations and reestablish the supply chain.
"We need to make sure we can remain that constant—the world needs a constant supplier that's reliable, and (the) food system in the United States is that one. If we don't bring back the supply chains, we're going to be vulnerable," he said.
Global food security cannot be achieved in the midst of war, Tom added.
"We need to stand firmly behind Israel as they face this conflict. Our No. 1 goal should always be peace, though. We need to achieve peace."