Mitch McConnell. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Mitch McConnell

US Senator for Kentucky

No stranger to Jewish audiences in America, Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving U.S. Senator in the history of Kentucky, and now the Senate Majority Leader, has seldom wavered in his support for Israel. During the 2014 war in Gaza, McConnell introduced standalone legislation to provide funding for Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system. When the measure passed through both chambers, McConnell affirmed it as “a message to Hamas that its terrorist tactics and its attempts to terrorize Israel’s populace will not succeed.” As Senate Majority Leader, McConnell is poised to play a key role in pushing through new sanctions legislation on Iran against the wishes of the Obama White House. He has already signaled his intent to do just that, telling reporters last November, “What we ought to do, if we can’t get an acceptable agreement with the Iranians, is tighten the sanctions…That’s the kind of thing a new Senate would be voting on.”