Mark Block For Trumbull

Senator Jeff Merkley, Democrat of progressive Oregon once again takes the easy out reflexive liberal stance on completing the mission of making the Middle East safer and protecting America at home. This reflexive rush to shout “war crimes” every time a military target is discussed isn’t moral clarity, it’s intellectual laziness dressed up as virtue.
Here’s the reality the Senator conveniently skips over: international law does not say “infrastructure = off limits.” It says you must distinguish between civilian objects and military objectives. If infrastructure, like elements of an electric grid, is supporting military operations, command-and-control, weapons production, or missile systems, it can be a lawful target under the laws of war. Even critics acknowledge there is “gray area” when infrastructure has dual civilian and military use.
So when a Senator declares, with sweeping certainty, that any strike on Iran’s electrical infrastructure is automatically a war crime, what they’re really doing is one of two things:
Either they don’t understand the law they’re invoking, or, they’re deliberately simplifying it to score political points during a war.
Neither is reassuring.
Even legal experts raising concerns are careful with their language, they say such strikes “may” constitute war crimes depending on necessity, proportionality, and military use. That’s how serious people talk about serious matters. This Senator is not a serious lawmaker. They don't do it in absolutist slogans designed for cable news clips.
And let’s be honest about the broader context: Iran is not some neutral bystander. It is actively engaged in a regional conflict, launching retaliatory strikes, targeting infrastructure abroad, and escalating the war. Pretending that only one side has agency, or that the battlefield can be reduced to a graduate seminar on international law, is detached from reality.
What’s truly dangerous is this kind of rhetoric from elected officials. When you casually accuse your own country of impending war crimes before facts, targeting intelligence, or operational details are even known, you:
- Undermine U.S. credibility
- Signal weakness to adversaries
- And reduce complex military and legal judgments to bumper-sticker outrage
If the Senator wants to have a serious discussion about proportionality, civilian risk, and lawful targeting, fine, that’s appropriate. But declaring conclusions in advance, with absolute certainty, isn’t principled, it’s performative.
War is grim, complicated, and governed by rules, but those rules require analysis, not slogans. That's how you bring lasting peace to Israel, our Arab nation allies, and American troops stationed throughout the region.

To all who gather for the first Seder this evening, may peace surround you throughout the eight days of Passover, and carry forward well beyond.