Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) on Sunday pushed back against the notion that Israel’s military strikes in Lebanon are an attempt to sabotage a pending U.S.-Iran agreement. Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Fischer argued that Israel is acting in self-defense against Hezbollah, not trying to derail diplomatic efforts.
“Israel is defending its country, and it’s defending its people,” Fischer said. “We understand completely the terrorists that are on Israel’s border.” She added, “When you have Hezbollah causing disruptions, bombings in northern Israel, they have a right, they have a right to go in and defend themselves. I doubt, I doubt that they are trying to scuttle any kind of deal.”
Israel launched strikes near Beirut on Sunday, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stating the operation was in response to “continued Hezbollah attacks on Israel’s territory.” The timing of the attacks—just hours after President Trump announced that a U.S.-Iran peace deal would be signed Sunday—has heightened tensions between Washington and Tel Aviv.
The strikes have become a flashpoint in U.S.-Israel relations, especially after Trump earlier this month confirmed he called Netanyahu “f—ing crazy” over Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, which have repeatedly stalled ceasefire talks. Trump has ordered both sides to stand down, but Israel has continued targeting Hezbollah positions.
Under the original U.S.-Iran ceasefire framework, all fighting in Lebanon and Iran was to be paused during negotiations. However, Israel has pushed ahead, prompting Iran to accuse the U.S. of violating the truce. Two weeks ago, Israel signed a separate ceasefire with Lebanon, but refused to withdraw and insisted on joint operations against Hezbollah.
Fischer defended Israel’s posture, saying the country understands “the importance of being able to have a secure area in the Straits, they know the importance of taking out the nuclear program of Iran, and so they want to see a negotiation that’s going to be successful on those points.” Her comments come as Trump claims a deal is imminent, though mixed signals from Washington and Tehran have cast doubt on the timeline.
The U.S. and Iran were set to electronically sign a ceasefire extension on Sunday, but the president’s own messaging has complicated matters. In a Sunday post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Hopefully, this process will all work out quickly, easily, and smoothly. If it doesn’t, we have the ultimate alternative, hopefully never to be used again!”
The Republican senator’s remarks underscore a growing divide between the Trump administration and some GOP allies over Israel’s role in the region. While Trump has sought to broker a deal with Iran, Israel’s military actions have repeatedly threatened to upend those efforts. Fischer’s defense of Israel suggests she sides with Tel Aviv’s security concerns over the administration’s diplomatic push.
