[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 195 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H5923-H5926]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            REAFFIRMING THE STATE OF ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO EXIST

  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 888) reaffirming the State of Israel's right to 
exist.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 888

       Whereas the Jewish people are native to the Land of Israel;
       Whereas throughout history and across the reign of multiple 
     kingdoms, the Jewish people were persecuted and expelled from 
     the Land of Israel, forced to live as minority diaspora 
     communities in other lands;
       Whereas Jewish diaspora communities were historically 
     violently persecuted in, and in some cases expelled from, 
     other countries throughout the Middle East, Europe, Africa, 
     and Asia due to their religion;
       Whereas the Nazis attempted to annihilate the entire Jewish 
     population of Europe during the Holocaust, murdering 
     6,000,000 Jews during this time;
       Whereas this genocide provided new urgency to re-establish 
     a Jewish homeland for the Jewish people following the 
     Holocaust, where they would not be a vulnerable minority, 
     where they could freely practice their faith, and where 
     something like the Holocaust could never happen again;
       Whereas the modern State of Israel was established on May 
     14, 1948;
       Whereas even after the establishment of the State of 
     Israel, other countries and terrorist entities continued to 
     attack Israel, reject its right to exist, and call for its 
     destruction; and
       Whereas Israel is the only Jewish State, and therefore, 
     despite persistent external threats, the existence of Israel 
     provides Jews a place to live free from persecution and 
     discrimination: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) reaffirms the State of Israel's right to exist;
       (2) recognizes that denying Israel's right to exist is a 
     form of antisemitism;
       (3) rejects calls for Israel's destruction and the 
     elimination of the only Jewish State; and
       (4) condemns the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Lawler) and the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Manning) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members

[[Page H5924]]

may have 5 legislative days in which 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 New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, today I rise to urge the House to agree to my resolution 
that reaffirms Israel's fundamental right to exist.
  This is a pretty simple and straightforward resolution. Israel has a 
right to exist. You either believe that or you don't. The American 
people should see very clearly whether or not the Members of Congress 
affirm Israel's right to exist.
  President Harry Truman recognized Israel 11 minutes after its 
founding. America was the first country to recognize the State of 
Israel, and for good reason.
  Over the last 75 years, Israel has become the greatest ally of the 
United States--our shared values, shared heritage. The relationship 
between our two Nations is unbreakable.
  I fundamentally believe that the terrorist attacks of October 7 
perpetrated by Hamas are about one thing: Hamas does not believe Israel 
has the right to exist. Hamas wants to eradicate the Jewish people from 
the face of the Earth. They say so.
  Other bad actors like Hezbollah share that perspective. Iran, the 
greatest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, the backer and funder 
of Hamas, has been calling for the eradication of the State of Israel 
for millennia. They don't believe they have the right to exist.
  This resolution seeks to reaffirm the commitment made by President 
Truman upon Israel's founding. We not only recognize Israel, we 
reaffirm Israel's fundamental right to exist.
  In the wake of the horrific October 7 attacks on Israel, we saw 
Members of this body and other opponents of Israel call for the 
elimination of Israel. When they chant: ``From the river to the sea, 
Palestine shall be free,'' they mean that Israel will not exist.
  I want Palestinians to be free. I want them to be free from their 
oppressors: Hamas and the Palestinian authority.
  Hamas has used Palestinians as human shields even until today. As 
Israel prosecutes this war against this terrorist organization, Hamas 
uses Palestinians as human shields, camping out in hospitals and 
schools, launching missiles, shooting innocent civilians.
  I watched in horror the 21-minute unedited, raw footage of the 
October 7 terrorist attack. Every Member of Congress was offered the 
opportunity to watch a 45-minute viewing of that attack.
  Nearly half of Congress chose not to come, including some of the 
Members who have made it clear that they don't support Israel's right 
to exist.

                              {time}  1800

  On college campuses and city streets, we see people calling for an 
intifada, actively promoting the destruction of the Jewish state. 
Everyone has a right to say what they want about a foreign government, 
to say what they want about war, but they don't have the right to 
delegitimize the very existence of the Jewish state to justify terror.
  The State of Israel was created 75 years ago to reestablish the 
native homeland of the Jewish people. For centuries, Jews were 
discriminated against and persecuted wherever they went. This 
culminated in the attempted genocide of European Jews during the 
Holocaust; 6 million Jews slaughtered.
  This most recent genocide provides new urgency to reestablish the 
Jewish homeland where the Jewish people were displaced, and we wanted 
to create a homeland where they weren't a vulnerable minority, where 
they could freely practice their faith, and where something like the 
Holocaust could never happen again.
  Yet, on October 7, we saw the largest slaughtering of Jews since the 
Holocaust. Yet, still today, many Jews view Israel as the safest place 
for them to live, even as rockets and missiles come from all sides.
  Denying Israel's right to exist is denying the Jewish people the 
right to self-determination. It is denying the Jewish people's historic 
ties to the land. It is justifying war crimes against babies, and let's 
call it what it is, it is anti-Semitic.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this commonsense resolution 
that makes one thing fundamentally clear: Israel has a right to exist. 
Congress must never stop pushing back against Israel's opponents, and 
we must reject biased attempts to destroy our greatest ally.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 888 introduced by my 
friends, Representatives Mike Lawler and Jared Moskowitz.
  Mr. Speaker, on many occasions this House of Representatives has 
reaffirmed Israel's right to exist, and it is important that we do so 
again today. It is incomprehensible to me that after Hamas' horrific 
terrorist attack on October 7, the largest attack on the Jewish people 
since the Holocaust, we are seeing a growing wave of anti-Semitism rear 
its ugly head at home and around the world.
  Since Israel's independence in 1948 and its admission into the United 
Nations the following year, international law has mandated Israel's 
right to exist. Yet, as of this year, 28 of the 193 United Nation 
member states still do not recognize Israeli sovereignty.
  The terrorist organization, Hamas, has declared that Israel has no 
right to exist and for decades has targeted Israel for destruction with 
suicide bombs, with missiles and rockets, and most recently, with 
gruesome and savage terror attacks targeting civilians.
  The destruction of Israel and the killing of Jews is Hamas' sole 
focus. They have murdered babies, raped women, executed parents in 
front of their children, and massacred 260 young people at a music 
festival. They have taken 250 innocent civilians, including American 
citizens, hostage.
  They are not working to help the Palestinian people who elected them. 
Indeed, the Palestinian people are shamelessly used and abused by Hamas 
as human shields.
  As a proud, lifelong supporter of a two-state solution, I know that 
with Hamas in control of 2 million Palestinians in Gaza, real progress 
on a two-state solution cannot being achieved. Hamas has always only 
ever played spoiler. The same is true of Iran's other regional proxies, 
Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and others, who also exist only 
to destabilize and destroy Israel, not to strive for a two-state 
solution.
  There cannot be peace when a party to a conflict doesn't recognize 
the other parties' right to exist. With recognition comes peace and 
mutual prosperity, security, and innovation. That is why efforts to 
facilitate and expand the Abraham Accords are so historic and 
important. The Abraham Accords countries, along with Egypt and Jordan, 
all recognize this fact and are advancing their nations in the spirit 
of regional cooperation and peace.
  Here at home, whether it is on public streets, on college campuses, 
or online, we have seen a deeply disturbing and aggressive increase and 
despicable call for Israel to cease existing as a Jewish State.
  The phrase, ``from the river to the sea,'' a sickening call for the 
destruction of the State of Israel and the genocide of the Jewish 
people, has become a rallying cry for those hoping for Israel's 
destruction. Calling for total Palestinian control of all Israeli 
territory from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea is a call to 
eliminate the Jewish State of Israel.
  This resolution states that denying Israel's right to exist is a form 
of anti-Semitism. I wholeheartedly agree with this statement. To be 
clear, it is not necessarily anti-Semitic to criticize the State of 
Israel or its leaders for particular policies. That is free speech, and 
no country is above criticism for its policies, including our own. It 
is absolutely anti-Semitic to treat Israel as a pariah based on the 
claim that Jews alone should be denied the right to define themselves 
as a people and to exercise any form of national self-determination.
  This is the crucial difference. It is anti-Semitism, and we must 
totally reject it.
  In 2015, former President Barack Obama stated the following in an 
interview: I think it would be a moral failing for me as President of 
the United

[[Page H5925]]

States, a moral failing for America, and a moral failing for the world 
if we did not protect Israel and stand up for its right to exist, 
because that would negate not just the history of the 20th century, it 
would negate the history of the past millennium.
  Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with that statement. For thousands of 
years, Jews have suffered persecution and lack the safety and stability 
of a homeland. Today, the modern Jewish State of Israel thrives in the 
ancient Jewish Holy Land where it is a robust democracy and productive 
and treasured member of the international community of nations.

  Israel has signed peace treaties with two of its most important 
neighbors and has come to the table for many rounds of peace 
negotiations with the Palestinians. Israel is a country that wants 
peace, whereas Hamas and its Iranian patron do not.
  Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people and will always remain a 
place of refuge where Jews can be truly safe and control their own 
destiny. Israel is certainly worthy of the support of this House and 
the United States of America.
  Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support this resolution, 
and I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Smith), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on 
Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.
  Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend for 
yielding.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 888 reaffirming the 
State of Israel's right to exist.
  I thank my good friend from New York, Mike Lawler, for introducing 
this timely, extremely important, and ever-necessary resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, Israel is the only state in the world whose fundamental 
right to exist is openly denied by other states. Some of them, 
including Iran, even call for Israel's complete destruction and support 
transnational terrorist organizations to work toward its demise.
  It is also the only state in the world whose fundamental right to 
exist is constantly undermined and challenged by intergovernmental 
organizations, such as and most shamefully of all, the United Nations.
  The anti-Semitism motivating those who deny Israel's right to exist 
is apparent, but it is important to connect, as this resolution does, 
the denial of Israel's right to exist, to anti-Semitism, and to connect 
them both as enabling causes to the monstrous crimes Hamas has 
unleashed on Israel.
  Make no mistake, Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitic bigotry is at the root of 
the U.N.'s hostility toward Israel, which is ugly, evil, and manifests 
itself at almost every U.N. entity.
  On November 8, I chaired a hearing of my subcommittee, and we called 
it United Nations' Bigotry Towards Israel.
  We heard expert testimony from Hillel Neuer, the executive director 
of U.N. Watch; and Jonathan Schanzer, the senior vice president for 
research at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.
  Hillel Neuer testified: ``Teachers and schools at the U.N. Relief and 
Works Agency, which runs education and social services for 
Palestinians, regularly call to murder Jews, and create teaching 
materials that glorify terrorism, encourage martyrdom, demonize 
Israelis, and incite anti-Semitism.''
  He further said: ``In 2022 alone, UNRWA received $344 million in U.S. 
funding. Yet, a March 2023 report by U.N. Watch and Impact-SE 
identified 133 UNRWA educators and staff who were found to promote hate 
and violence on social media, and an additional 82 teachers and other 
staff affiliated with 30 UNRWA schools who were involved in drafting 
and distributing hateful content to their students.''
  That is just the tip of the iceberg.
  Jonathan Schanzer testified that: ``The U.N. doesn't recognize Hamas 
as a terrorist organization. Nor does it recognize Hezbollah either. 
That means U.N. resources can be and regularly are provided to members 
of those terrorist groups.''
  Mr. Speaker, according to the great human rights defender, Nathan 
Sharansky's famous 3-D test for anti-Semitism, which he articulated at 
a hearing that I chaired way back in 2004, criticism of Israel is 
nothing less than anti-Semitic when it passes over into the 
demonization of Jews and Israel, delegitimizes the Jewish state, or 
applies double standards; that is, one standard for Israel, and another 
for every other country on Earth.
  That is what many U.N. entities and agencies do every single day.
  Yesterday, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the JTA, reported on the 
latest example of the double standard and said: ``Nearly 50 days after 
Hamas' attack on Israel left 1,200 dead, and after weeks of criticism 
over its silence about allegations of sexual violence during the 
attack, the women's rights group, U.N. Women, issued a statement 
condemning the terror group on Friday.
  Then it deleted the post.''
  Here is what it said originally:
  `` `We condemn the brutal attack by Hamas on October 7 and continue 
to call for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,' 
read the initial statement posted on U.N. Women's Instagram page.
  It was soon replaced with a statement that dropped the condemnation 
of Hamas and only called for the release of hostages.''
  Mr. Speaker, there are so many examples.
  In 2022, the U.N. General Assembly targeted Israel in a total of 15 
harshly critical resolutions, compared to 13 country-specific 
resolutions for the entire world: China, North Korea, Iran; 13 for all 
of them combined, 15 for Israel.
  In large measure, it is because of the U.N., which unquestionably is 
the world's foremost legitimizer of anti-Semitism, that it remains 
necessary, 75 years after the founding of the great State of Israel, to 
reaffirm its right to exist.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my good friend and colleague from New York, and 
my friend from Florida, for authoring this important resolution.

                              {time}  1815

  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Moskowitz).
  Mr. MOSKOWITZ. Mr. Speaker, Israel has a right to exist. There are 
only two ways to vote on this. Either you vote ``yes'' or you vote 
``no.'' ``No'' means you do not believe Israel should be a country. 
``No'' means you believe a country should be wiped off the face of the 
Earth. A ``present'' vote means you do not believe Israel should be a 
country. Hanging out in the cloakroom, having a hot dog, or missing the 
vote means Israel shouldn't be a country.
  This is a moment for people in this body, on a bipartisan basis, to 
stand together and say they believe Israel has a right to exist.
  Hamas doesn't think Israel has a right to exist. Hezbollah doesn't 
think Israel has a right to exist. Iran doesn't think Israel has a 
right to exist. People who vote ``no'' or vote ``present'' side with 
them. They pick a side with Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.
  I don't want to hear excuses. ``Oh, I didn't like this `whereas' 
clause,'' or, ``Oh, there was a period or a comma out of place,'' as if 
somehow we always vote on perfect resolutions around here. Again, it is 
an opportunity to show the world that we believe Israel has a right to 
exist.
  We see anti-Semitism in the streets and at rallies. At cease-fire 
rallies, which is a foreign policy position, we see people holding 
signs that say: ``Gas the Jews,'' ``Kill the Jews,'' and ``Cleanse the 
Jews.'' That is not a foreign policy. If it is, it is a foreign policy 
of Germany in the early 1940s.
  This is a moment for people in this body, some of whom sit in the 
rows behind me, to show they believe Israel has a right to exist.
  I am for a two-state solution, Mr. Speaker. I think it is important 
that the Palestinian people get a state. But rest assured, in that two-
state solution, one of those states is going to be Israel.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the 
gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. MOSKOWITZ. Mr. Speaker, I conclude with this: Anyone who believes 
that Israel doesn't have a right to exist is calling for genocide. We 
hear that word thrown around a lot now on

[[Page H5926]]

social media, ``genocide.'' We have a war in the Middle East. We don't 
have genocide.
  If you believe a country should not exist, the millions of people in 
that country should also not exist, which means you are calling for 
genocide.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to vote ``yes'' on this resolution. 
Israel has a right to exist.
  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Rhode Island (Mr. Amo), the newest member of the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee.
  Mr. AMO. Mr. Speaker, I rise to affirm our ally Israel's right to 
exist.
  The unprovoked October 7 attack by Hamas has left a deep wound. 
Israel has a right to defend itself against this barbarism consistent 
with international humanitarian law, including the protection of 
civilians.
  Far too many Israeli families do not know the fate of their loved 
ones at the hands of Hamas. While some have relief, there are still 
many who need to be reunited with their families. My hope is that the 
success President Biden has had will secure the release of all the 
hostages.
  Importantly, the extended pause has meant additional humanitarian 
assistance to alleviate the suffering of the innocent Palestinian 
families in Gaza for whom Hamas has no regard. There must be sustained 
and safe access to food, water, and medical care.
  Paramount is the prevention of this conflict from spreading, 
preserving stability in the Middle East, and working toward a durable 
peace.
  These events have brought forward a rise in anti-Semitism and 
Islamophobia. Anti-Semitic incidents have involved violent assaults on 
Jewish students on college campuses and protesters extolling terrorist 
organizations.
  Close to home, I was especially horrified that this past weekend, 
three students of Palestinian descent, one a Brown University student, 
were shot. I pray for their recovery and that the assailant be brought 
to justice.
  This crisis of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia demands an urgent and 
collective response. There is no place for violence or hate in America.
  In recognition of Israel's right to exist and for the immediate 
release of hostages taken during the October 7 attack, I urge my 
colleagues to support H. Res. 888 and H. Res. 793.
  Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
for the purpose of closing.
  Mr. Speaker, the Jewish people have connections to the State of 
Israel that go back thousands of years. Indeed, the Jewish people are 
indigenous to that land.
  Yes, Israel has a right to exist. This multicultural, multiethnic, 
multireligious nation, a nation of laws, a nation with free speech and 
free press, a nation of innovation, and a vibrant, thriving democracy, 
an incredible country, has much to teach the world and will continue to 
do so. This country, our only democratic ally in the Middle East, is 
here to stay.
  This resolution puts the House of Representatives on record as 
affirming the State of Israel's right to exist. It recognizes that 
denying Israel's right to exist is a form of anti-Semitism. It rejects 
calls for Israel's destruction and the elimination of the only Jewish 
state and condemns the October 7 Hamas-led terrorist attack on the 
State of Israel and its people.
  Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this resolution, and I urge all my 
colleagues to do the same. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LAWLER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for 
closing.
  It should be clear by now to each and every Member of this body on 
both sides of the aisle and every American that Israel has a right to 
exist. This sentiment is unequivocal and is a critical point to 
unequivocally voice now in our ally's time of need.
  Harry Truman recognized the State of Israel 11 minutes after its 
founding. For 75 years, the United States and Israel have had a special 
bond. Israel is the only multiracial, multiethnic, multireligious 
democracy in the Middle East. It is a beacon of hope, of freedom, and 
of opportunity.
  If anyone in this body believes that they do not have the right to 
exist, please explain to us and the American people what nation does.
  This is a simple vote, and every Member should be on record in 
support of Israel's right to exist. If they cannot muster the courage 
to support Israel's right to exist at this moment, they don't belong in 
Congress, period.
  This is a simple vote, and I encourage all of my colleagues to stand 
with Israel, to defend and reaffirm their very right to exist, and to 
defend the right of the Jewish people to practice their faith.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Lawler) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 888.
  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. LAWLER. 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.

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