[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 82 (Wednesday, May 12, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S2465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ISRAEL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, now on a different matter, yet again, 
air raid sirens have been sounding in Israel. Israeli civilians have 
been huddling in basements, shelters, and hospital stairwells. Hamas 
rocket attacks are lighting up the skies, hitting buildings, and 
terrorizing, injuring, and killing innocent people. Of course, Hamas 
and Palestinian Islamic jihad receive significant support from Iran.
  Fortunately, a remarkable percentage of the incoming rockets have 
been intercepted in midair by Israel's Iron Dome system. Americans 
should take some pride of our own in defending our friends with these 
high-tech defenses, which we have helped Israel bring online and have 
advanced our own joint missile defense efforts at the same time. 
Missile defense is expensive but vital. It is yet another reason I am 
concerned with this administration's intention to underfund defense.
  Whatever complaints Palestinians have with Israel's Government, 
wanton violence against civilians is completely and totally 
inexcusable. This is barbaric terrorism, not a legitimate protest; nor 
is it legitimate for Israel's obsessive critics to suggest any 
equivalency whatsoever between these inexcusable attacks and Israel's 
measured and quite targeted response against terrorists.
  Yesterday here in Washington, street protesters screamed--listen to 
this--``Israel is a terrorist state.'' On the streets of Washington, 
they screamed: ``Israel is a terrorist state.'' Some Democratic Members 
of Congress echoed that rhetoric almost exactly.
  Look, the State of Israel has every right of self-defense. Its 
national security leaders have continued to display restraint and 
invest so much in precision and avoiding civilian casualties. That has 
been the approach of the Israeli Government.
  Israel must know that their friends and allies here in the United 
States stand with them as they seek to restore deterrence, that we 
support their right to peace and security, and that we will not relax 
our efforts to hold terrorists and terrorists' supporters to account.

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