[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3670-H3673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS SUPPORTING THE STATE OF ISRAEL

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 57) expressing the sense of 
Congress supporting the State of Israel.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 57

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
       (1) the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state;
       (2) Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and 
     xenophobia; and
       (3) the United States will always be a staunch partner and 
     supporter of Israel.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.


                             General Leave

  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include 
extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Texas?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the President of Israel will address this body 
in a joint session. It will be a great day in American history as 
Representatives of one of the greatest democracies are addressed by the 
head of state of another. Democracy and its shared values are at the 
very core of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
  The beauty of our friendship is that we stand together, shoulder to 
shoulder, as we defend our freedom and our way of life from threats 
like Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other forms of terrorism.

                              {time}  1545

  Let me be clear. Israel is not a racist country. It is deeply 
disturbing and concerning to me that some in this body have such a 
profound misunderstanding of Israel and Israeli society.
  The previous government in Israel had Arab parties and Arab ministers 
serving in the coalition government. What a fantastic achievement for 
democracy. It is no secret that Israel is a country in a tough 
neighborhood that is clear-eyed in seeing many threats in its own 
backyard.
  The United States will always support Israel's right to self-defense. 
We see Israeli citizens being murdered in senseless terrorist attacks. 
At times, the fallen have been American citizens.
  Israel is responsible for protecting the well-being of its citizens. 
Protecting one's citizens from terrorist attacks is not racism. It is 
national security. To think otherwise is small-minded, and quite 
frankly, Mr. Speaker, it is just plain and simply wrong.
  A key component of friendship is looking out for one another and 
standing up for each other. Racism has no place in this body or in 
public discord, period. I support this resolution rejecting false 
accusations and repulsive anti-Israel statements. I stand--and I know 
almost everyone in this Chamber stands--with our friends in Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas (Mr. Pfluger) for bringing 
this resolution forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support 
this, and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, and I 
yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, we welcome Israel's President Herzog to the 
United States of America.
  For my entire career of 25 years in the House, and in recent weeks, I 
have stood on this floor and spoken on the importance of the State of 
Israel. The need for Israel to remain both Jewish and democratic is 
without question.
  Mr. Speaker, Israel cannot remain both Jewish and democratic unless 
we have peace and if it does not live side by side in peace with the 
Palestinian people. Both sides have to want peace. That is why I stand 
strongly behind a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
  As the resolution before us states, Israel is not a racist state. I 
concur.

[[Page H3671]]

  As the resolution before us states, Congress rejects all forms of 
anti-Semitism and xenophobia. I concur.
  Finally, as the resolution before us states, the United States will 
always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel. I concur.
  I look forward to hearing the address of Israel's President Herzog 
tomorrow. The President is a rare symbol of unity in a polarized 
society and a true asset to Israel. He has been working diligently to 
bring all parties in Israel together to find consensus on judicial 
reform, something that is necessary to preserve Israel's democratic 
character, in my view. I encourage him to keep up this important work 
and wish him much success.
  Without question, the Democratic Party, my Democratic Party, supports 
the long-term viability of the Jewish state and knows its true 
character and importance. In fact, I, along with Leader Jeffries and 
others, was in Israel recently to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 
Jewish state and was moved by the events we witnessed.
  Mr. Speaker, I support wholeheartedly and encourage all of my friends 
on both sides of the aisle to support this resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the author of this resolution.
  Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the State of Israel 
and the Jewish community here in the United States of America and, 
quite frankly, throughout the world.
  I thank the chairman and the ranking member, two men who have worked 
tirelessly on this very topic, this very subject.
  I have a resolution. It is simple. It is one page. It is one page, 
but I think it is powerful. It says the State of Israel is not a racist 
or apartheid state. It says that Congress rejects all forms of anti-
Semitism and xenophobia. Lastly, it says that the United States will 
always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.
  It is simple. It is a one-page resolution that I think every Member 
of Congress should be able to agree on. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we 
have heard disgusting statements from Members on the other side of the 
aisle against Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, as I look at this debate here, this is the time when 
anyone who has said those types of things can come to the House floor 
to debate and have a conversation. If there is disagreement with this, 
let's let the American people hear that disagreement.
  From my standpoint, we look at Israel as the most important partner 
in the Middle East. Tomorrow, in fact, as we welcome President Herzog 
to this very body, to the United States, to a joint address of 
Congress, it is critical for the U.S. Congress to send a unified 
message that we stand with Israel and unequivocally support our Jewish 
communities. There is no place for hate or hateful words.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope this is an easy vote today. It should be easy. 
All 435 Members of this body should be able to vote in affirmation of 
this so that when President Herzog enters this body tomorrow, he knows 
unequivocally that the United States is with Israel and that the entire 
world knows that.
  In fact, 75 years ago, within minutes of being recognized as a 
nation, the United States was the very first to recognize Israel as a 
nation. It is because we both believe in freedom. We both believe in a 
trusted partnership. We both believe in pushing back against enemies 
around the world like Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism, 
that would seek to undermine at every turn the State of Israel.
  Where are those colleagues if they disagree?
  I think what this debate tells me today, seeing very little 
disagreement on the House floor, is that we as the United States of 
America, that we as the U.S. Congress, that the House of 
Representatives believes in the tenets.
  I will say it one more time. The State of Israel is not a racist or 
apartheid state. Congress rejects all forms have anti-Semitism or 
xenophobia. The United States will always be a staunch partner and 
supporter of Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, not only do I urge my colleagues to support this, but I 
urge my colleagues to stand up against bullying against those who would 
say things that are not true, those that would denounce or use words 
that are hateful in their rhetoric, that undermine the very essence of 
the nation of Israel, and that undermine the freedoms that this country 
stands for.
  Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I am able to author this and 
stand before the American public and reaffirm, on the 75th anniversary 
of Israel as a nation, our support in the United States of America for 
a nation that I believe is divinely inspired.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
North Carolina (Ms. Manning).
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 57, 
expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel.
  Israel, the historic homeland of the Jewish people, is a robust, 
thriving, multiracial, multiethnic, and multireligious democracy that 
shares our democratic values. Like the United States, Israel is not 
perfect. It has challenges and policies that are openly criticized, 
often by the Israeli people themselves.
  Let me be clear. Israel is not now and never has been a racist state. 
That characterization is contrary to the facts. It is an untrue and 
unfair characterization that slanders our strongest ally in the region.
  Significantly, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. Prior to its 
founding, Jews suffered centuries of persecution with no country, not 
one that would guarantee their safe haven. Since its founding, Israel 
has valued equal rights for all its citizens. It has provided a home to 
Jewish refugees from all across the globe, from Ethiopia to the Soviet 
Union to Argentina to Ukraine, all while living under threat from 
neighbors and terrorist groups dedicated to Israel's destruction.
  Too often, divisive voices are quick to demonize Israel. Today, we 
reaffirm our commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Tomorrow, I 
will be proud to welcome President Herzog to a historic joint meeting 
of Congress where the bipartisan majority of this body will stand 
together to commemorate and cherish the U.S.-Israel relationship.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to support 
this straightforward resolution and stand with our democratic ally 
Israel.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).
  Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I stand here in support of this resolution 
today. I look forward to welcoming the President of Israel tomorrow and 
hearing his message.
  I also stand here in support of this resolution condemning the 
comments that Israel is a racist country. It is not. We all stand here 
today united against anti-Semitism and the evil that it represents. It 
is repugnant.
  Mr. Speaker, I will make clear today from my perspective why it is so 
important to stand with our ally Israel. We have practical reasons, 
moral reasons, and spiritual reasons--practical in that Israel is the 
only nation in the region that shares our democratic values, the values 
of rule of law and human dignity. It is a win-win relationship.

                              {time}  1600

  We gain from it, they gain from it, and our countries are stronger 
together.
  It is moral because for thousands of years, the Jews were repressed, 
discriminated against, abused, and murdered. The nation of Israel was 
put together to be a safe haven from all over the world where they 
could go, and that remains true today.
  I would say it is spiritual, for I believe in the words of the Torah 
and our Old Testament when it says that those who bless Israel will be 
blessed, and, indeed, America has been blessed.
  Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this resolution, and I appreciate 
my friend from Texas who is a fellow Air Force veteran who put this 
together.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa 
(Mr. Nunn).
  Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this 
resolution and the State of Israel.


 =========================== NOTE =========================== 

  
  On July 18, 2023, page H3671, in the third column, the following 
appeared: Mr. NUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of 
this resolution and the State of Israel.
  
  The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. NUNN of Iowa. 
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution and 
the State of Israel.


 ========================= END NOTE ========================= 



[[Page H3672]]


  I compliment both the chair for leading this, Mr. McCaul, as well as 
my colleague, Representative Pfluger, for being brave enough to stand 
forward and call out Israel not only as an ally, but as standing in 
that steely breach as a force for democracy, as a force for freedom, 
and a voice for free people in a world too often tried time and time 
again by tyrants and terrorists.
  Our support for Israel is critical during times of global uncertainty 
and continued aggression by adversaries around both the region and the 
world.
  When I worked with the Israeli Defense Forces, I saw the threats 
firsthand from the Golan Heights to the north to the kibbutzes in the 
south.
  Across the world, we must reject anti-Semitism in all its forms and 
stand with Israel and the people of Israel against these threats. We 
cannot let our strongest ally in the Middle East be left alone.
  Mr. Speaker, I will continue in my unwavering support of Israel and 
encourage my colleagues to join me.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Miller).
  Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to once again reaffirm my steadfast 
commitment to a free and prosperous State of Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, today every single Member of this honorable body will 
have the opportunity to stand against anti-Semitism, to stand against 
bigotry, to stand against hatred, and to stand for the forever home of 
the Jewish people, our great friend and democratic ally in the Middle 
East, the key pillar to freedom and democracy for the entire region, 
and the home of so much of our shared history: the State of Israel.
  Today we bring forward yet another opportunity. It is yet another 
opportunity for individuals in this body to set their words and their 
records straight and to walk back their words, which they so often 
choose to do.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, in the 117th Congress, when I became the chair of 
Foreign Affairs Committee, my first stop was in Israel celebrating the 
Fourth of July.
  I said then what I will say now: Israel and the United States stand 
together because we have and share the same values. We believe in 
democracy.
  We know that Israel is a nation that at its foundation is not only 
Jewish but democratic.
  Its existence is crucial for the future of the Jewish people. We know 
that this Congress will continue to expressly reject all forms of anti-
Semitism and xenophobia as this resolution before us states.
  We stand together, and I would hope that all Members of this august 
body welcome President Herzog tomorrow as we listen and continue to 
work with our strongest ally in the Middle East.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Sherman).
  Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is an excellent resolution. Israel is 
not a racist or apartheid state. Congress should and does reject all 
forms of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and the United States will 
always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.
  However, why are we taking this up today?
  We are taking this up today because one of our colleagues from the 
State of Washington made a statement and then withdrew it.
  The question is: Why didn't we take up this resolution when Nick 
Fuentes, a Holocaust denier, was honored by the former President and 
given a chance to have dinner with the former President at his home in 
Mar-a-Lago?
  That is when we should have dealt with this resolution.
  We should have taken up this resolution when Kanye West had the honor 
of dinner with Donald Trump, the former President of the United States.
  We should have taken up this resolution when our colleagues, Mr. 
Gosar and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, both at different times 
joined Fuentes on stage, and in each case after they were denounced for 
the anti-Semitic act of lending their authority to Mr. Fuentes, these 
individuals did not withdraw, they did not apologize, and they did not 
condemn Mr. Fuentes.

  So we should believe in this resolution every day, and if we are 
going to allocate floor time, it should be when Holocaust deniers are 
honored by our colleagues and by the former President of the United 
States.
  Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this resolution today, but I will 
believe in this resolution 365 days each year, including those days in 
which certain others do something outrageous.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bacon). The gentleman from New York has 
10\1/2\ minutes remaining.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the 
great State of Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I am the only Palestinian American serving in 
Congress, and I have family members all throughout the West Bank and 
what many people call the illegally occupied territories.
  We are here again reaffirming Congress' support for apartheid. 
Policing the words of women of color who dare to speak up about truth 
and about oppression is just not what we should be doing here in 
Congress.
  Let's just get the record straight here. This is not something that 
is made up. The United Nations Human Rights Watch, Amnesty 
International, and Israel's own largest human rights organization, 
B'Tselem, all agree that Israel is an apartheid state.
  To assert otherwise, Mr. Speaker, in the face of this body of 
evidence is an attempt to deny the reality and to normalize violence of 
apartheid.
  This week we are going to hear consistently people touting about, oh, 
this is bipartisan support here.
  Don't forget, this body, this Congress, supported a South African 
apartheid regime, and it was bipartisan as well.
  Mr. Speaker, you don't have to take it from me to understand the 
racism of an apartheid government. Let's take a moment just to hear 
Israeli Government's own politician in their own words. This is a 
direct quote, not mine. Current Prime Minister Netanyahu on his 
policies toward Palestinians said: ``Beat them up, not once but 
repeatedly, beat them up until it is unbearable.''
  He said that Israel must ``crush Palestinian hopes for a fully 
sovereign state.''
  One of the former defense ministers said that Palestinians are 
``beasts. They are not human.''
  He is talking about people like my grandmother, Mr. Speaker.
  How about a former justice minister who said: ``They should go, as 
should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes. Otherwise, 
more little snakes will be raised there.''
  How about another former defense minister said: ``Those who are 
against us, there is nothing to be done. We need to pick up an ax and 
cut off his head.''
  Another quote: ``There is no such thing as a Palestinian people.''
  How is that not racism at its core?
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentlewoman from Michigan.
  Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, Israel's own President Herzog is going to 
come before Congress tomorrow. He has long advocated against 
interracial marriages.
  Did you all know that?
  Do you care?
  He said it on a news segment. Look it up.
  When he came to America, he said: ``I encountered something that I 
called an actual plague. I saw my friends' children married or coupled 
with non-Jewish partners.''
  Israel is an apartheid state. The Israeli Government is deeply 
problematic in the way that they are proceeding in the structure of 
oppression.
  Mr. Speaker, just like I speak up against injustices here in America, 
this is about speaking up against violence. Congress must stop funding 
apartheid.
  Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to 
close.

[[Page H3673]]

  Mr. Speaker, there is nothing progressive about racism. Racism is 
ugly. I know my colleague, my dear friend, Mr. Meeks, who is a member 
of the Congressional Black Caucus, knows what racism is.
  He is also the strongest supporter of Israel.
  I know our colleague, John Lewis, knew what racism really is, and 
racism is ugly.
  Israel is not a racist state. My father was a bombardier in a B-17. 
He bombed the Nazis.
  Why were we at war with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis?
  For many reasons, but, fundamentally, because of their values. They 
were anti-Semitic. During the Holocaust, racism, in its ugliest form, 
took place in the concentration camps in Europe and, indeed, in 
Auschwitz, where I attended to see the horrors of what mankind can do 
against mankind.
  Why was the State of Israel formed?
  Israel was formed out of a racist society to say to the world: No 
longer, never forget, and we will not tolerate racism.
  Mr. Speaker, 75 years later we stand here in this body celebrating 
this democratic state in the Middle East that was formed because of 
persecution and because of racism. We do not stand for racism. No one 
in this Chamber should stand for racism.

  To call Israel, which was formed as a result of racism, anti-
Semitism, and hatred, to call that very country a racist state is 
repugnant to all of our values.
  I think everyone in this Chamber should vote ``yes,'' because as my 
dear friend across the aisle knows, racism and anti-Semitism have no 
place--no place--not only in this Chamber, but not in America and not 
anywhere in the world. Where we see it, we denounce it in its most 
ugliest form.
  So this is a call to action to defend her and to defend the nation 
that was created by primarily the United States and our allies as a 
result of the hatred that we saw come out of Nazi Germany.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address H. Con. Res. 57.
  I condemn antisemitism and hate in all its forms, and my record is 
clear. Last Congress, I voted for H. Res. 1125 affirming this stance, 
and I have always and will always speak out against hate.
  I also support the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live 
in safety. As Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the 
117th Congress. I fully funded the Iron Dome and U.S.-Israeli 
cooperative missile defense programs that help ensure Israel's 
security.
  As a long-time supporter of a two-state solution, I am deeply 
troubled by the record of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and actions 
of the Israeli government that run counter to this stated goal. For 
example, the Israeli government's decision in 2018 to enact their 
Nation-State law, which restricts the rights of Palestinians. Or the 
lack of accountability for how Israel uses the $3.8 billion in annual 
security assistance provided by the United States. These concerns are 
central to why I introduced H.R. 3103 to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars 
from being used to support the military detention of Palestinian 
children, demolish Palestinian homes, or annex Palestinian lands.
  I am proud to serve in the United States House of Representatives, in 
the greatest democracy in the world. A cornerstone of a strong 
democracy is the ability to openly criticize our government when we 
feel it is doing something against our values. As a Member of Congress, 
I have often criticized the policies of my own government. That does 
not make me anti-American. And criticizing the policies of the Israeli 
government does not make one antisemitic.
  H. Con. Res. 57 does nothing to advance the goal of a peaceful 
solution to end the conflict. Striving for an Israeli state and a 
Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security is worth 
the effort of every Member of Congress. But that means Congress will 
need to support the rights, needs, and aspirations of both Palestinians 
and Israelis.
  Attempting to silence conversations about Palestinian human rights 
and intimidate people who wish to have open and honest conversations 
about the mistreatment of the Palestinian people will only prolong this 
problem. I will not be silenced. I will keep speaking up against 
antisemitism, oppression, and hate in all forms.
  I will vote ``present'' on this resolution, because Americans, 
Israelis, and Palestinians deserve genuine steps forward on the goal of 
peace, not more division and political gamesmanship. I do this because 
every Palestinian child and Israeli child deserves to go to sleep at 
night dreaming of a brighter future, not one of violence.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and 
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 57.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

                          ____________________