[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 50 (Thursday, March 21, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Israel

  Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, on October 7, Hamas--a terrorist 
organization--committed a horrible atrocity on the people of Israel. 
Over 1,100 people were killed, hundreds taken hostage.
  We must support Israel to destroy this terrorist organization called 
Hamas. We must get our five American hostages back, and all the 
hostages must be released. We need to have an ironclad friendship with 
Israel to get this done.
  This seems obvious to most Americans. However, on the floor of this 
very institution, the majority leader got up and called for new 
elections in Israel; and Israel's Prime Minister, he said, was the 
obstacle to peace.
  It is absolutely outrageous the majority leader would make that 
speech from this floor while we have five American hostages being held 
by a terrorist group. He was pandering to the fringe anti-Israel, pro-
Hamas wing of his party. It is despicable. It is terrible that he would 
undermine an ally of ours who shares our values, who has a 
democratically elected government, and undermine them in their hour of 
need when they are fighting against a terrorist organization.
  This is good versus evil. The atrocities Hamas committed were 
barbarous, uncivilized. And yet the majority leader took their side.
  Americans know Hamas must surrender--Hamas must surrender and release 
the hostages--and that we need to support Israel until Hamas is 
destroyed.
  So what was the majority leader doing? Well, was he really concerned 
about the elections in Israel, or was he concerned about our elections? 
Pandering to the pro-Hamas terrorist wing of his party, somehow trying 
to distance himself from Israel--it is unbelievable.
  Now, President Joe Biden, on October 7, talked the talk. He said we 
would stand with Israel no matter what. But the President called the 
majority leader's speech a good speech. He has been backing away from 
our ally Israel.
  There are even reports that he is considering conditioning some of 
the aid to meeting Hamas's conditions. This is outrageous. What do you 
think Hamas does when they see the President of the United States start 
to step back from our ally?
  If they were going to negotiate a cease-fire and somehow release 
hostages, you know that this is actually the opposite of what they are 
going to do now. They know if the President is weakening, the longer 
they hold out, the better their position is. It is the opposite of what 
we should be doing.
  Hamas is a terrorist organization and understands one and one thing 
only, and that is strength. We need a President who is going to project 
that strength--project the strength and support our ally Israel. That 
is what would bring our hostages home. That is what would bring all the 
hostages home.
  Let Israel do the work of civilized nations and destroy this 
terrorist organization. That is what needs to happen.
  Everyone in America knows it is not the Israeli Prime Minister 
Binyamin Netanyahu who is the obstacle to peace; it is Hamas who is the 
obstacle to peace.
  Hamas started this. October 6 there was a cease-fire. They broke it 
on October 7. Hamas is responsible for every death on October 7 and 
every death since then. They are the obstacle to peace.
  I am proud to stand with my colleagues and remind the majority leader 
that Hamas is a terrorist organization that is the obstacle to peace, 
not our friend and ally Israel.
  I will point out to him what Americans know: that this is a terrorist 
organization that needs to be destroyed. We must stand with Israel. I 
am proud to say I stand with Israel. The majority leader and the 
President must reverse course and stand with Israel as well.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wyoming.