[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 89 (Wednesday, May 22, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3826-S3830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Israel

  Mrs. CAPITO. Madam President, last week, on May 14, our friend and 
ally Israel celebrated its 76th Independence Day.
  As we all know, Israel was founded in the wake of the Holocaust to 
give the Jewish people a homeland that would allow them to return to 
their ancestral land that they had been forcibly removed from.
  I am proud--very proud--that the United States was the first country 
to recognize Israel; and since then, we have been steadfast allies that 
support one another through times both prosperous and challenging.
  However, this year's Israeli Independence Day came during a time of 
great turmoil, as Israel battles terrorist forces that have ruthlessly 
waged war against them since October 7.
  We join them as they mourn the loss of over 1,200 Israelis killed in 
that initial attack and pray for the safe return of the hostages still 
kept in captivity by Hamas.
  In an alarming development, this longstanding U.S.-Israel 
relationship is now becoming unnecessarily strained by President 
Biden's quest to appease those in his party who do not support the 
State of Israel, a bastion of democracy and freedom in the Middle East.
  The October 7 attack marks the most horrific attack Israel has 
suffered since its founding and the deadliest day for the Jewish people 
since the Holocaust. So how did we get to this point?
  The common refrain for those opposed to Israel now has been to call 
for cease-fire now. We have seen it all across our college campuses. 
And we saw President Biden clap along to these demands, again, as he 
delivered a commencement address just this past weekend.
  And what is even more mind-boggling is that those who are protesting, 
who are they demanding a cease-fire from? I haven't heard a single 
campus protest group call for Hamas to lay down its arms or call for 
Hamas to release the hostages.
  Why? Why? Because they want Israel to stop fighting, because they 
want Israel to stop defending itself, and because they want Israel to 
lose. We cannot forget the fact that a cease-fire was in place on 
October 7, and that cease-fire was broken by Hamas as they deliberately 
attacked innocent civilians in the most brutal and barbaric ways.
  So let's not forget that some of these communities, the border towns 
in Israel that were attacked by Hamas, were some of the most ardent 
supporters in Israel for the Palestinian people.
  They were some of the biggest advocates for peace. Yet despite the 
reality, here in the United States, our colleges have become embroiled 
in controversy over this and play host to anti-Israel and anti-Semitic 
protests that ultimately stopped Jewish students from attending class 
and even led a rabbi at Columbia University to recommend Jewish 
students return home for their own safety.
  These protesters demand that Israel drop their weapons, yet refuse to 
acknowledge that Hamas is the instigator of the war. But we now know 
what Hamas' entire plan was: to minimize any chance of peace in the 
region, to attack Israel's most peace-promoting citizens in the most 
brutal of fashions, especially, and most dangerously and horrifyingly, 
toward Israeli women.
  To undermine the incredible progress that had been made possible 
through President Trump's Abraham Accords, to stop an emerging 
normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, and to conduct an attack on 
Israel so horrific that Israel had no other choice but to respond.
  In what world would we ever expect a country to be attacked in such a 
brutal fashion and not fight to defend itself? It is important to note 
that the chaos and instability benefits one bad actor above all else, 
and that is the Iranian regime.
  Without Iran's help, both financially and militarily, Hamas would not 
have been able to execute their terrorist attacks on the Israelis. Iran 
has further supported Hamas's efforts by launching over 300 projectiles 
at Israel on April 13. And lest we forget, it was an Iranian-made drone 
that killed three American soldiers in Jordan on January 29.
  We must recognize that the deep ties between Hamas and Iran and their 
common goal of destroying Israel and bringing harm to the United States 
and our citizens. Calls for a cease-fire only embolden Hamas and their 
stated aim to repeat the October 7 attacks a second, third, and fourth 
time. Israel must defend itself, and they must root out the evil that 
is Hamas.
  So earlier this week, we learned that the International Criminal 
Court would seek arrest warrants for leaders of Hamas and Israel for 
war crimes.
  It is simply shocking to me that the ICC would seek to establish a 
delusional level of equivalency between the actions of Israel and the 
actions of Hamas. I have seen the footage of the attacks on Israeli and 
American citizens that occurred on October 7, and it is clear that 
Hamas is the real criminal involved in this conflict.

  Hamas continues to show no regard for its own people, spending 
billions of dollars on over 300 miles of tunnel system, but yet they 
are refusing to allow their Palestinian citizens to shelter there; and 
they continue to use hospitals, schools, places of worship for military 
purposes, knowingly placing citizens in harm's way.
  While Israel was founded on the principle of promoting development 
for the benefit of all of its inhabitants, Hamas's only mission is to 
destroy Israel. The differences between their founding principles, 
their leadership, and their actions could not be any more different. 
And it is abhorrent that the ICC would attempt to argue otherwise.
  In these times of instability, you would hope that the President of 
the United States would display strength. Instead, President Biden has 
decided to play politics by placing a hold on security assistance that 
this Congress most recently approved.
  This is just the latest foreign policy blunder from an administration 
plagued by weakness on the international stage. Shortly after this 
policy of withholding weapons was announced, Hamas steps away from the 
negotiations on the safe return of the hostages.
  It seems like a pretty big coincidence to me. Hamas is still holding 
American hostages captive; although, I wonder how many of these 
hostages are still alive, as we discovered--I think it was last week, 
four bodies were discovered.
  And President Biden should be doing everything within his power to 
bring home those American hostages. Instead, he is publicly withholding 
weapons from our ally and giving their adversary cover.
  When President Biden took office, he pledged ironclad support for 
Israel, but now he is publicly backing down from that promise.
  He is projecting to our allies and our adversaries that the U.S. 
promises' can be subject to political pressure.
  To further underscore the administration's lack of responsibility, my 
EPW committee came across something very disturbing this week in our 
ongoing oversight of President Biden's so-called Inflation Reduction 
Act. You might wonder what EPW or the IRA have to do with Israel in 
their battle against terrorists. But we discovered that the Climate 
Justice Alliance, a group that received $50 million from the Biden 
administration in December, openly denies Israel's right to exist and 
actively supports the horrific actions of Hamas. They even promote 
graphics that glorify the bulldozers used by Hamas on October 7.
  It is despicable that the EPA is sending millions of dollars through 
the IRA to a group that perpetrates hatred and violence under the guise 
of fighting climate change and this administration would allow U.S. 
taxpayers' dollars to fund these anti-Semitic activities.
  There is no doubt that the last 7 months have been an incredibly 
difficult time for the people of Israel and Jewish Americans here at 
home. Never,

[[Page S3827]]

never in my life, never would I have ever expected to hear and see the 
anti-Semitic discourse that I see being conducted on our own land, our 
own American shores, and the violence and intimidation towards the 
Jewish community.
  Together we must condemn the rise of anti-Semitism and make clear 
that this hatred has no home in our country and in our world.
  My Republican colleagues and I will continue to display our 
unwavering support for Israel and push for the assistance that they 
need to ensure their survival and victory in this fight, as allies do 
have needs, particularly in this time of need.
  So with that, I yield the floor to my friend from North Dakota, 
Senator Hoeven.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
  Mr. HOEVEN. Madam President, I am pleased to join my colleague from 
West Virginia and others who you will be hearing from--next, our 
colleague from Nebraska--in regard to our absolutely ironclad support 
for Israel and why it is so important that we stand and we stand 
strongly with our friend and ally Israel.
  On October 7, Hamas committed appalling atrocities against Jews in 
Southern Israel. I went to Israel one month later to show my support 
for our close ally during this very dark hour, and I am still today 
very proud to stand with Israel.
  But I am very concerned about the Biden administration holding up 
weapons that need to be delivered to Israel. That is why I have 
cosponsored two important pieces of legislation requiring the President 
to expedite delivery of defensive aid to Israel: first, Senator 
Cotton's Israel Security Assistance Support Act and then the assistance 
support act that Senator Cruz put forward as well; that is the Assuring 
Resupply of Munitions Act, or ARM Act.
  Congress has moved decisively to support Israel, and these bills make 
crystal clear--there is no doubt about it--our desire that Israel 
receive our support without hesitation. We said that October 7 can 
never happen again, but if we say ``never again,'' we should mean it. 
If we truly mean ``never again,'' then the only path forward is for 
Israel to win the war--to win the war.
  And that is why it is so important that we give Israel the tools it 
needs to win the war as soon as possible. Destroying Hamas means 
allowing Israel to reestablish security for its people. Destroying 
Hamas also means it can no longer terrorize and repress the people of 
Gaza. If we are concerned about the lives of Jews and Gazans, the 
sooner Hamas is defeated the better. The sooner Hamas is completely 
defeated, the better.
  Putting limits on military assistance only means prolonging a 
conflict that Israel must win, and it means greater loss of life among 
both Israelis and Gazans.
  Delaying or halting military aid also sends the wrong message to both 
our allies and our adversaries. Our allies, like Israel, rightly wonder 
whether U.S. promises will be kept when times get tough. Our 
adversaries, like Hamas and Iran, wonder if they can manipulate us into 
failure. When we hesitate to keep our promises and give our enemies the 
chance to regroup, we incentivize the very behavior that we must 
oppose.
  We have to wipe out terrorism. We have to work with our allies--not 
just Israel but all of our allies--to wipe out terrorism.
  If Hamas survives, it will certainly seize more hostages in the 
future. That is what Hamas does. If Hamas survives, it will keep using 
innocent civilians as shields. Think about that: using innocent 
citizens as their shields. If Hamas survives, it will see October 7 as 
a triumph rather than a disaster.
  The administration may believe that pausing military assistance will 
save lives or limit suffering, but it will only sow the seeds of future 
conflict. There is no substitute--there is no substitute--for victory 
over Hamas.
  Congress has provided the resources to support our ally Israel, and I 
call upon the administration to keep our promises, to act according to 
the will of the American people, and to accept nothing less than the 
complete defeat of Hamas.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, this weekend, President Biden called 
for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. What the President didn't 
acknowledge is that Israel and Gaza were not in a state of war until 
October 7, when Hamas broke a cease-fire. They stormed Israel's 
borders, and they raped, tortured, and killed innocent civilians.
  Far-left, pro-Hamas activists are painting Hamas as freedom fighters 
that want to liberate their fellow Palestinians. Nothing could be 
further from the truth. Hamas uses innocent civilians--anyone from 
babies to the elderly--as human shields. They shelter themselves in 
schools and in hospitals. They have no regard for human life or 
dignity, not for Israelis and not for Palestinians.
  Members of Hamas film themselves laughing as they maim and murder 
innocent people. They use sexual assault as a weapon of war. These are 
no freedom fighters; they are terrorists.
  We saw a sobering example of that this weekend. The Israeli military 
recovered the bodies of four hostages who were captured, abused, and 
murdered by Hamas. They found them lying in a tunnel in Gaza. These 
included the body of Shani Louk, a young woman Hamas captured at the 
Nova music festival on October 7. She and the other hostages ran from 
the armed terrorists, who were killing people to their left and to 
their right, but Hamas caught up with them. They sexually assaulted and 
maimed Shani before they murdered her.
  This weekend, the Israeli military returned the mutilated body of a 
young daughter to her grieving parents. These are not the deeds of 
freedom fighters. These are the deeds of terrorists.
  There are still over 100 hostages being held in Gaza, many of whom 
are believed to be dead. Eight of those hostages are Americans, three 
of whom are dead as well--three Americans.
  When President Biden calls for a cease-fire--one neither party has 
agreed to yet--he is just calling for Israel to surrender. He is 
emboldening Hamas and abandoning the dozens of people still being 
abused by these terrorists. He is equivocating because of political 
pressure.
  President Biden must stop sacrificing a moral backbone for political 
gain. You don't negotiate with terrorists. Hamas is using hostages as 
political pawns, and no amount of diplomacy is going to change that.
  The Biden administration should not be telling Israel's 
democratically elected government what they must do. Israel must make 
those decisions to protect their people and protect their country.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
  Mr. RICKETTS. Madam President, I rise today to join my colleagues in 
expressing my complete support for the State of Israel and the war 
against Hamas terrorists.
  There was a cease-fire in place prior to October 7. Hamas broke that 
cease-fire. Hamas attacked Israel and murdered over 1,200 Israelis and 
Americans. They also took hundreds of hostages, including Americans as 
well.
  Hamas is responsible for every death on October 7 and every death 
since that day. They need to surrender. Hamas must surrender.
  If Hamas surrenders and releases the hostages, aid can freely flow 
into Gaza to support the Gazans. Instead, Hamas continues to prosecute 
this war. In fact, after October 7, they said they would continue to do 
atrocities like October 7, if given the chance. They will continue to 
try to destroy Israel. They will continue to murder Israeli citizens.
  They just don't chant ``Death to Israel.'' They chant ``Death to 
America'' as well.
  Terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah represent an existential 
threat to Israel. They have repeatedly declared their intention to wipe 
Israel off the map.
  Israel has the right and the obligation to destroy the terrorist 
group Hamas. They must have the ability to defend themselves. And they 
will be doing the world a favor by destroying Hamas.
  We need to support Israel and their efforts to do just that. Part of 
that support means pushing back on anti-Semitic organizations, like the 
United

[[Page S3828]]

Nations or the International Criminal Court, that attack Israel's 
legitimacy and their sovereignty.
  The International Criminal Court's ludicrous decision to apply for 
arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and 
Israel's defense chief is the most recent example of their anti-
Semitism. This outrageous decision not only emboldens terrorists around 
the world but creates problems for us here in the United States as 
well.
  In the statement, the ICC prosecutor describes crimes that have been 
committed on ``the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine.'' 
That is exactly backward. He should have said ``the State of Israel and 
the territories of Palestine.'' But that was intentional.
  It is a continuation of the rampant anti-Semitism in these 
organizations, like the ICC and the U.N. It is designed to delegitimize 
the State of Israel.
  And the crazy thing is, the ICC's action, in itself, is illegitimate. 
It lacks legal basis. Under its own charter, the ICC is banned from 
moving forward with prosecutions unless the relevant government is 
unwilling or unable to police themselves.
  The ICC knows Israel has a robust and independent judiciary. The ICC 
knows and has admitted that Israel has trained lawyers who advise 
commanders and a robust system intended to ensure compliance with 
international humanitarian law. By moving forward with these arrest 
warrants, the ICC is calling Israel's laws, government, and democracy 
illegitimate. It is wrong.
  There is no moral equivalency between the State of Israel, democracy, 
and the terrorist organization Hamas. There is no moral equivalency 
between Hamas's terrorist actions and atrocities on October 7 and 
Israel's right to defend itself and to take action to destroy that 
terrorist organization.
  Hamas terrorists have shot unarmed civilians, dismembered soldiers, 
raped women, and massacred children. Meanwhile, Israel has fought its 
war while taking great pains to avoid unnecessary civilian casualties.
  We need to be supporting Israel in its mission, not undermining the 
Israeli Government. It is in our interest to do so.
  Neither Israel nor the United States are members of the ICC. Both 
countries are outside of the ICC's jurisdiction. Yet the ICC is going 
after Israel anyway. America should take note. If the ICC can violate 
Israel's sovereignty, it can violate America's sovereignty.
  The ICC needs to face the consequences of its anti-Israel policies. 
While it is good that President Biden has condemned the arrest warrants 
as ``outrageous,'' Israel needs more than words. It needs actions.
  Last month, my Republican colleagues and I sent a letter to the ICC 
with a warning: If the ICC moved forward with arrest warrants for 
Israelis, we would push to end all American support for this 
disgraceful organization.
  We are here today to tell President Biden one simple thing: If your 
commitment to Israel is really ironclad, as you say, you will join us 
in holding these anti-Semitic organizations accountable. Let's sanction 
the ICC's employees and associates and prevent them from coming to the 
United States. Let's work with our allies to ensure that they refuse to 
honor the ICC's indictments against either Israel or the United States. 
Let's truly demonstrate our ironclad support and stand with our ally 
Israel in its hour of need.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Carolina.
  Mr. BUDD. Today is the 229th day of captivity for eight American 
citizens held hostage in Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas--229 
days of being deprived of food, water, and medical care; 229 days of 
being subjected to unbearable violence, abuse, and psychological 
torture by Hamas terrorists; 229 days that mothers and fathers--many of 
whom I have met--and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters have 
had to live with the pain, the anguish, and the uncertainty of their 
loved ones' well-being. But if you flip on mainstream media tonight or 
if you watch the protests on college campuses or if you listen to the 
Biden White House, the conversation has been dominated by everything 
but securing the release of American hostages.
  We have seen the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court seek 
arrest warrants of Israeli leaders as well as Hamas leaders. Equating 
the Israeli Prime Minister with Hamas terrorists is despicable, and it 
shows a complete lack of moral clarity.
  We have read about the State of Qatar reportedly temporarily 
expelling Hamas leaders from Doha, only to reverse course and welcome 
them back later. To be clear, Qatar is hosting a brutal terrorist 
organization with American blood on their hands. This continued 
dithering and flip-flopping is not helping. Qatar must pressure Hamas 
leaders to release the hostages now or expel them from Doha. It is just 
that simple. To do anything less, my friends, is unbecoming of a major 
non-NATO ally.
  When we look to the President of the United States, we continue to 
see weakness and a lack of moral clarity on this issue. In a total 
betrayal of our friend and ally, the Biden administration withheld 
lethal aid to Israel earlier this month. This signaled to Hamas that 
they can drag their feet and hold out because the so-called ironclad 
bond between the United States and Israel, in Biden's mind, is not so 
ironclad after all.
  I know firsthand that Biden is overruling his national security team, 
and he is letting a few radical activists on his staff dictate foreign 
policy as American lives hang in the balance. At the end of day, there 
is nothing more important in U.S. foreign policy than protecting 
American citizens. The best way we can bring the hostages home from 
Gaza is by increasing pressure on Hamas.
  On the international stage, we need global bodies, like the ICC and 
the U.N., to grow a moral core, identify the evil being committed, and 
to rally the community of nations to pressure Hamas to release innocent 
hostages. We need the State of Qatar to end its straddling and 
doublespeak and to permanently expel Hamas leaders from Doha. Here at 
home, we need the Justice Department to file charges and hunt down 
every Hamas terrorist responsible for the murder of over 40 Americans 
on October 7 and the kidnapping of 8 who remain in captivity. We need 
the President of the United States to show strength and to show some 
moral leadership on this issue.
  Friends, the line between good and evil in this conflict is crystal 
clear. President Biden needs to use every lever of national power to 
secure the hostages' freedom.
  After 229 days, let's be united in working for the release of these 
eight hostages.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Rosen). The Senator from South Carolina.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Madam President, to kind of continue on the theme of my 
good friend from North Carolina, apparently today or yesterday, the 
countries of Ireland, Spain, and Norway recognized a Palestinian State.
  Here is my question: Who is in charge of the state? Who is running 
the place? What are its boundaries? Did you recognize Hamas being in 
charge of Gaza? Do you want to keep the PA as we know it now in the 
West Bank, as old and corrupt? What did you recognize?
  These are allies, but they need to hear from a friend that what you 
did is reprehensible. You are rewarding terrorists.
  On October 7, Hamas attacked the State of Israel and murdered 1,200 
innocent people, put babies in ovens, raped women, set people on fire, 
and recorded it all. And your response is to create a Palestinian 
State? You are rewarding terrorists. The way a Palestinian State will 
be created, if ever, is through direct negotiations between the State 
of Israel and Palestinians, not a unilateral recognition of a 
Palestinian State after the largest terrorist attack against the Jewish 
people since the Holocaust.
  To my friends in Ireland, Spain, and Norway, what you did was reward 
Hamas. Here is the message you are sending: Kill Jews, and you will get 
a reward.
  Again, tell me about the state you just recognized. Who is in charge, 
and what are the boundaries? You can't answer those questions, but you 
went ahead and recognized the Palestinian State for political reasons.
  The world has turned upside down.
  Madam President, you have been a stalwart defender of Israel, and we 
appreciate it.

[[Page S3829]]

  Here is what I would say: After October 7, Hamas is engaged in using 
the Palestinian people as human shields at a level I haven't seen in 
warfare. The response is to punish Israel, who is in a no-win 
situation. The battalions have to be destroyed. The tunnels are 
underground. Why do you need a 2,000-pound bomb? Because there are 
underground tunnels that only a major bomb will be able to destroy.

  When it comes to civilian infrastructure, the destruction of it has 
been in large part because Hamas has used schools, mosques, and 
hospitals as military sites, putting all that infrastructure in 
jeopardy by militarizing it.
  On top of all of that, the International Criminal Court has decided 
to issue an arrest warrant for the Prime Minister of Israel and the 
Defense Minister of Israel as well as Hamas leaders. Boy, has the world 
turned upside down.
  To consider Israel like Russia--Putin had an arrest warrant issued 
because there is no rule of law in Russia. People fall out of windows 
who are opposition leaders. People get poisoned. There is no rule of 
law in Russia.
  There is a robust legal system in Israel. It is probably the pride of 
the world. The most independent judiciary maybe on the planet lives and 
resides in Israel.
  So Israel is not Russia, and the Prime Minister and the Defense 
Minister of Israel are not Hamas, but in the ICC world, they are all 
the same. That is despicable.
  Here is what has happened: Apparently, a lot of legal experts, some 
well-known, famous people, advised the ICC that Israel needed to be 
charged--the State of Israel, the Prime Minister and the Defense 
Minister. They are legal experts under international law. I would not 
pay these people 5 cents given my undersigning of their own statute.
  I, along with seven members--four Republicans and four Democrats--
engaged the ICC weeks ago, arguing that for you to bring a charge 
against the State of Israel, you would have to believe that the 
judiciary in Israel is not independent and that Israel is not acting in 
good faith--they are acting in bad faith--when it comes to allegations 
against Israeli forces and policies of Israel. It is called 
complementarity.
  Israel is not a member of the ICC, nor are we. In 2015, the ICC 
recognized the Palestinians as a state for ICC purposes even though 
they are not recognized by the U.N. Why they did that, I don't know. 
But they took over jurisdiction of this conflict, and where do we lie 
now?
  On May 20, a couple of days ago, a representative of the ICC was 
supposed to land in Israel to set up a meeting between legal officials, 
government officials of the State of Israel and the prosecutor, Khan, 
next week.
  The group that I was involved in urged the ICC to sit down and talk 
with Israel--called complementarity.
  Under their own statute, the ICC cannot act unless the nation in 
question is unable or unwilling to proceed with an investigation or if 
the investigation is conducted in bad faith. There is no way you can 
find Israel is not acting in good faith when they were willing to meet 
you 2 days ago.
  So here is what happened: We were misled and lied to by the ICC.
  This group thinks they have jurisdiction of the entire world; they 
are going to roam the globe and right wrongs. They were created to deal 
with voids where there is no rule of law or rogue states like Russia, 
where the rule of law has been destroyed, not come and second-guess 
robust democracies like Israel and the United States.
  They threatened to come after our soldiers in Afghanistan years ago, 
and Senator Ernst, who was a member of the U.S. Army serving abroad. We 
objected to high heaven.
  We have a very robust military legal system. We have a very 
independent judiciary. Israel has the most independent judiciary on the 
planet.
  So they canceled the meeting. Israel called and said: When will you 
get here? The man in question for the ICC said: I have been told I 
can't come. And Israel heard about the arrest warrant on CNN. They had 
prerecorded this interview--Mr. Khan had--with a CNN reporter before 
the meeting.
  Senator Cardin has been awesome on this.
  We are trying to get Israel to engage with the ICC, listen to their 
complaints, and see if we can move forward. They acted in bad faith. A 
meeting was set up, the man did not attend, and before Israel knew 
anything, they heard it on CNN.
  So I am hoping that we can come together--and I want to applaud 
President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, and Jake Sullivan for 
issuing strong statements condemning the actions of the ICC against the 
State of Israel.
  Now it is time to impose sanctions not only to help our ally but also 
to help ourselves. I want everybody to know that if you deal with the 
ICC in this sham trial against Israel, you will never come to this 
country. Your visa will be revoked, and if you have assets here, they 
will be lost. You have to pick what I think is an abuse of the rule of 
law over doing business with America.
  If we don't do that as a body, we are next. I have tried for months 
to find a way forward with my colleagues, who have been terrific, 
trying to find a way for Saudi and Israel to recognize each other, come 
up with a better deal for the Palestinians, to end this conflict in a 
permanent way.
  In the middle of this sensitive moment, the ICC, in a very deceptive 
way, brings charges against the Prime Minister of Israel and the 
Defense Minister, who are in a fight for their lives. They are 
surrounded by Hezbollah, Hamas, and Iran.
  Where was the ICC when the Iranians drug a young girl off the bus and 
beat her to death? Where are they in North Korea? They pick Israel--a 
nation with one of the most robust, independent legal systems on the 
planet. They lied to eight U.S. Senators. They cannot get away with 
this. If you let them get away with this, then you are going to regret 
it.
  So I look forward to working with Republicans and Democrats and the 
administration to send a clear signal: We are not going to sit on the 
sidelines while the rule of law is politicized, turned upside down, to 
the detriment of our allies and our own Nation.
  With that, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
  Ms. ERNST. Madam President, first, I would like to thank the Senator 
from South Carolina. We know that normalization between Saudi Arabia 
and Israel is incredibly important, and the Senator from South Carolina 
has been knee-deep in efforts to bring those two nations together. I 
would like to thank him first for that.
  America's promises mean something--or at least they should. President 
Biden has repeatedly promised that his commitment to Israel is 
ironclad, but revoking much needed military support for our closest 
Middle Eastern ally says otherwise.
  Let's be clear: The Middle East--really, the entire world--right now 
is on fire, and the blame lies, in large part, on the shoulders of the 
administration. President Biden's weak leadership has consistently 
appeased our enemies and abandoned our allies.
  This dangerous trend began with the disastrous withdrawal from 
Afghanistan, where he left behind Americans and Afghan allies to the 
mercies of Taliban rule. As a result, terrorists across the globe 
rejoice at Biden's decisions instead of trembling in fear of the United 
States as they once did and should.
  Two weeks ago, I returned from Israel, where I advocated for the 
release of American hostages held captive by Iran-backed Hamas. I stood 
before Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, 
and assured them that America has your back. Yet, as my words were 
still reverberating, the Biden administration sent a far different, far 
more damaging message to our ally: We are withholding key munitions.
  Unbelievable and unconscionable.
  Let's not miss that the very weapons that President Biden is 
withholding include kits that will convert bombs into precision-guided 
weapons--tools that would help Israel conduct very precise strikes 
against Hamas, thus reducing civilian casualties.
  Mind you, reducing civilian casualties is the administration's stated 
goal when it comes to how the IDF prosecutes their rightful 
retaliation. Yet the Biden White House is withholding the very means 
Israel needs to accomplish this goal.
  It is total hypocrisy, folks.

[[Page S3830]]

  As Prime Minister Netanyahu said to me and to the world, the United 
States withholding these precision-guided capabilities will not stop 
Israel from defending itself.
  But make no mistake, Biden's decision will make it harder for Israel 
to avoid civilian deaths. This, my friends, is a very, very grim 
reality.
  In April, Congress, with my help, stood firmly with our ally by 
approving critical weapons support for Israel. Leading up to the 
passage of this bill, President Biden himself declared the aid to 
Israel was critical and called for ``swift and decisive action'' to 
ensure Israel had everything it needed to defend itself. Yet, now, when 
it is his time to act, Biden fails to do so.
  Since October 7, Israel has faced existential, Iran-backed threats on 
every side. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas terrorists continue to attack our 
friend and hold dozens of hostages, including Americans--our American 
eight. Hezbollah forces continue to bomb northern Israel, forcing the 
evacuation of 60,000 Israelis. Houthis have also attacked dozens of 
ships crossing the Red Sea in order to strangle the Israeli economy. 
And, of course, Iran--the supporter of all of these terrorist groups--
launched more than 300 projectiles against Israel last month in an 
unprecedented escalation, not to mention the attacks by Iranian proxies 
on our own servicemembers in the region. Three American servicemembers 
were killed at Tower 22 in Jordan. Let's not forget.
  As Israel faces these dangers, we must give her the arms needed to 
fight and win--to destroy the Hamas terrorists that continue to hold 
our--our--fellow citizens hostage, the American eight.
  What must not get lost in all the noise is that the decision to 
withhold weapons from Israel reeks of politics. The President is 
choosing to capitulate to an anti-Israel, pro-Hamas faction within his 
own party. He does so at his own peril and, more importantly, at the 
peril of countless lives.
  President Biden, you have made your choice. You are choosing the side 
of Iran-backed Hamas terrorists who brutally rape women and burn 
children. You are choosing the side of anti-Semites who are ruining the 
lives of Jewish students across this country. You will live with the 
consequences of your choices and, most gravely, so will the American 
hostages and U.S. servicemembers being targeted by Iranian proxies 
every single day.
  Republicans will not waver in our support for Israel and our Jewish 
friends. ``Never again'' is not just a slogan; it is a solemn vow, and 
in this pivotal moment, we will stand on the right side of history.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.