Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN-3rd) was in Israel this past week meeting with Israeli leadership as their war against Hamas continues, all while many parties are trying to broker a cease-fire deal between the two.

Banks said he met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and members of his cabinet to discuss the conflict. His meetings also included the King of Jordan and leaders from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Banks returned to the U.S. even more convinced that the United States needed to fully back Israel.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel’s goal are to stop Hamas in their tracks, take out the leadership of Hamas and keep something like October 7th from ever happening again,” Banks told All Indiana Politics. “I support them in that as a member of Congress.”

On October 7th of last year, the war between Israel and Hamas started when Hamas fighters stormed a music festival in southern Israel and kidnapped hundreds of people including a handful of American citizens.

While in Tel Aviv Banks said he had dinner with the family of Hersh Goldberg, an American from Chicago who is one of the hostages taken by Hamas. At the time of Banks’ dinner with Goldberg’s family, he was still alive. Banks said that in the days that followed, Goldberg was among six hostages executed by Hamas.

“It just goes to show what is truly at stake here and why we have to do so much more to back up Israel to do what they have to do to bring these hostages home,” Banks said.

Banks likened the October 7th massacre to that of September 11th in the U.S. He called it “Israel’s 9/11.”

As all sides continue to work on a cease-fire Banks could not say what the timetable, if any, may look like in getting that done.