[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 91 (Tuesday, May 25, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S3386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ISRAEL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, the world is relieved that Hamas has 
stopped firing rockets at Israel's cities and, for the moment, the 
fighting has stopped.
  Israel's response to Hamas's terrorism was entirely justified. It was 
targeted, restrained, and extraordinarily precise. So it was 
disappointing to see disproportionate blame heaped upon Israel, the 
victim, and disproportionate pressure put on Israel's democratic, 
coalition government to spearhead the cease-fire with the aggressors.
  Israel's actions appear to have helped restore some measure of 
deterrence and damaged Hamas's ability to wage terror, but we have 
every reason to expect the terrorist commanders will seek to rebuild 
their arsenal with assistance from their sponsors in Tehran.
  The Biden administration must not pursue Iran policies that make this 
process even easier. We should not lift terrorism and missile sanctions 
just to leap back into discussions over the flawed Obama-era nuclear 
deal. Already, this administration removed terrorism sanctions on 
Iran's Houthi proxies in Yemen, hoping to encourage negotiations. 
Instead, the Houthis have escalated their offensive, rejected 
diplomacy, and actually fired into Saudi Arabia. Likewise, giving Iran 
relief from sanctions will just yield more support for terrorists like 
Hezbollah and Hamas.
  Now, I am encouraged that the President has committed to refilling 
Israel's Iron Dome stockpiles. I hope his budget proposal coming this 
Friday will make room for increased military assistance to Israel and 
reflect the fact that America's interests are not served by cutting our 
own defense budget.
  Sadly, here in Congress, more and more Democrats are falling under 
the anti-Israel influence of the farthest left branch. From the junior 
Senator from Vermont, we have a resolution to block a routine sale of 
precision-guided munitions that would make it harder for Israel to 
avoid civilian casualties as it defends itself; from a Congresswoman 
from New York, the accusation that Israel is an ``apartheid state.''
  Historically, support for Israel has been bipartisan. During the last 
major flare-up with Hamas back in 2014, when hundreds of rockets were 
fired at Israel, the Senate passed a resolution reaffirming our support 
for Israel and making clear Hamas's responsibility for the violence, 
and we did it by unanimous consent.
  Back in 2019, after another rocket attack, the Democratic leader 
insisted, ``No government can allow its civilians to be subject to 
rocket attack.'' He said he stood ``shoulder-to-shoulder with the 
people of Israel . . . and doing what they must do to defend their 
homeland.''
  That was true in 2019. Well, this month's attacks involved not 
hundreds but literally thousands of rockets. Yet, instead of vocal 
support for Israel, 29 Senate Democrats pressured Israel's coalition 
government to stop defending itself. One of our colleagues who ran for 
President said the United States helping our ally means ``supplying 
weapons to kill children.'' Their base is energized. An open letter 
from hundreds of former Democratic Party and campaign staffers has 
urged President Biden to be harder on Israel. Apparently, a lot can 
change in just 2 years.
  Helping Israel defend itself against terrorists shouldn't be a 
divisive issue. The Senate should vote on Senator Sanders' resolution 
and reject it overwhelmingly.

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