[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[House]
[Page H1527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          STAND BESIDE ISRAEL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Marshall) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MARSHALL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call upon all Members of 
Congress to stand beside Israel and confront anti-Semitism, ethnic 
hatred, and prejudice-driven boycotts, whether at home, abroad, and 
certainly for Members of this Chamber.
  We, as a country, cannot tolerate this behavior, and certainly this 
Chamber has no room for bigotry. Furthermore, I must warn the general 
public that despite the warranted outcry we saw in response to the 
Representative from Minnesota's irresponsible comments, this is the new 
normal for the liberal base in America.
  To be clear, anti-Semitism has become an all-too-common occurrence in 
politics among the Democrat base and the far left who see Israel as 
nothing more than an extension of phantom corruption and colonialism.
  Politicians who appeal to this type of ignorance are simply shoring 
up a new Democratic constituency. That is the ethos that primed the 
Minnesota Representative's ludicrous and insulting accusation of 
``bought-and-paid-for'' politicians who stand with Israel.
  It is that type of loose, cheap, anti-Semitic rhetoric that led to 
the rise of the Third Reich. It is clear to all of us, there are a 
couple of our new colleagues across the aisle that need to be reminded. 
In fact, they need to admit that the brutal regime of Iran continues to 
be the chief obstacle to peace and security in the Middle East, and 
thus, the root of most all terrorism that threatens our homeland.
  For decades, Iran's funding of terrorism and extremist groups in the 
region has fueled violence, civil war, and bloodshed. The Iranian 
Parliament literally burned the U.S. flag on their parliament floor and 
chants, ``death to Israel,'' and ``death to America'' in their streets.
  At home, all Americans must oppose the radical and xenophobic 
boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement which are promulgated by 
the left. This BDS campaign is peddled by intellectually dishonest 
anti-Semites whose sole purpose is to attack Israel, attempting to 
delegitimize and isolate it from the rest of the world.
  Any Member of this congressional body with ties to the BDS movement 
should renounce them immediately. We must hold our elected officials 
accountable. Whether on Twitter or in the Halls of Congress, disgusting 
insinuations and bigotry must be condemned in all forms. Those who 
continue the use of anti-Semitic rhetoric should be held accountable 
for their actions.
  The Democrats should follow the high standards and the high bar that 
the Republican leader has taken when it comes to committee assignments 
to those who make bigoted remarks.
  America must continue to stand together in support of Israel and in 
support of peace in the Middle East and the world. We must build upon 
our unbreakable alliance with Israel and overcome the challenges that 
come with building a better, safer world.

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