[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 95 (Tuesday, June 4, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H3640-H3641]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1700
                          ONE BARRIER TO PEACE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 9, 2023, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Landsman) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.
  Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I am one of only a few Jewish Members of 
the House, and I am leading this Special Order hour to help provide 
some clarity in this time of challenge and confusion. It has been said 
that there are four barriers to peace in the Middle East, but we are 
here tonight because there is only one barrier to peace, and that is 
the Government of Iran.
  This war in the Middle East has impacted two historically traumatized 
people who share a history. They share land, and unfortunately, they 
share this reality that no one in the world wants either one of them.
  Watching this trauma and this history unfold has had a deep impact on 
caring people all over the world. We want this war to end. We want the 
hostages returned, and we want a future peace for Israelis and 
Palestinians. We may be nearing a cease-fire, and I pray Hamas agrees 
to the proposal that is on the table now. That won't resolve the larger 
issue of Iran.
  Before October 7, we were nearing peace in the region. In fact, over 
the past several decades there have been major efforts to bring peace 
between Israel and Arab nations. Historically, Arab nations were united 
against Israel, launching frequent attacks with the intent of 
destroying the Jewish state, but things slowly changed, one

[[Page H3641]]

realignment at a time achieved through American leadership and American 
partnership.
  However, there is one glaring exception toward this progress, the 
totalitarian regime in Iran, which remains intent on Israel's 
destruction and disrupting the path to peace. It creates chaos in the 
region.
  President Carter worked with Egypt and Israel to bring those two 
states to a sustainable peace. President Clinton worked with Jordan and 
Israel to normalize relations between those two nations. Four years 
ago, the United States formed the Abraham Accords, where the UAE and 
Bahrain recognized Israel's sovereignty. Sudan and Morocco would later 
join.
  Then just days before October 7, Saudi Arabia and Israel were near a 
deal. It would have brought the region closer to peace. At that point, 
Iran had seen enough. Hamas, an Iranian-backed army, had seen enough, 
too, and they attacked, massacred, raped, and took Israeli and American 
hostages.
  People have looked at this war as a David and Goliath story, and in 
some ways it is. We all know the story; the Philistines were attacking 
the Israelites in the Valley of Elah. Every morning, Goliath, this 
giant, challenged the Israelites to fight. One day, David, a young 
shepherd boy, did what no one else would do: He defeated the giant with 
just a sling, against all odds.
  It is a story about the imbalance of power and strength but also 
courage and ingenuity. Israel in the last 8 months has been painted as 
this Goliath in the war today, and if you looked at a map and you 
zoomed in, you may think that, too. There is Israel, and there is Gaza, 
very small. However, if you zoom out, you would see the reality of what 
is going on, and that the Goliath isn't Israel, but it is Iran.
  Iran has funded over 20 terrorist organizations all surrounding 
Israel. They have funded groups that were responsible for killing three 
U.S. servicemembers earlier this year, funding the Houthi rebels in 
Yemen responsible for attacking U.S. ships in the Red Sea, and most 
recently they funded Swedish gangs to carry out terror attacks against 
Israelis in their embassy.
  Today, just like the story, 8 million Jews are in the Valley of Elah 
surrounded by the Goliath, Iran, and its terrorist-backed armies. Iran 
is not alone in this effort. It is supported by global chaos agents 
like Russia. What is happening in the Middle East and what is happening 
in Ukraine are not isolated events. Putin attacked Ukraine because he 
believes it is a fictional state, just as Iran and Hamas and Hezbollah 
believe Israel is a fictional state.
  This partnership between Iran and Russia has sowed conflict, chaos. 
Russian-made weapons have found their way to Hamas for years, and the 
same Iranian drones that were fired into Israel weeks ago have been 
used in Russia's offensive against Ukraine.
  There are those who seek to put us on a path to a peaceful future and 
those who seek to disrupt it and sow chaos and destruction. Russia, 
Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi, they are all part of this group.
  Following October 7, Israel was suddenly up against Goliath and 
confronted with an impossible choice:
  What was Israel to do after October 7 when their enemy, Hamas, went 
underground, taking Israeli and American hostages with them?
  What was Israel to do when they hid in tunnels and shielded 
themselves by leaving innocent Palestinians above ground?
  What was Israel to do when Hamas vowed to end Israel if they were to 
survive?
  Hamas could cease their actions at any moment to save innocent lives, 
but they choose not to. If Israel stops now, they would not only 
abandon their people and Americans, but they would also relinquish the 
hard-earned stability in the Middle East, opening the door for further 
chaos.
  The truth is, we aren't seeing the forest for the trees. We aren't 
zooming out to see the Goliath here--the Iranians, the Russians, the 
terrorists that they support against the global community. They have 
done this by abandoning innocent people, hiding behind civilians, and 
stealing aid from Palestinians. Unfortunately, their plan has 
succeeded.
  Recently, Canadian protesters gathered and declared:

       What happened on October 7 was the beginning of the great 
     intifada.
       It has spread in the minds of people of the free world.
       When you scream with a loud voice, Long Live October 7, you 
     will understand that these people decided to end their 
     miseries and this nightmare called Israel.

  In response to calls like these, the Iranian Ayatollah has said it is 
working. That is right. He sees all of these protests against Israel, 
and the Ayatollah has said, it is working.
  Just last week, in reaction to U.S. protests, the Ayatollah praised 
American protesters in a letter that also contained anti-Semitic tropes 
and accused Israel of being a terrorist state.
  Iran and Russia's goal of terror isn't limited to the Middle East. It 
is spreading globally. If we want this war to end, which I desperately 
do, if we want the hostages returned, which I desperately do, and a new 
future for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, which I desperately 
do, then we have to firmly stand against the ongoing Iranian 
aggression.
  The path forward requires bold, ethical leadership from Israel to 
urgently end the deepening humanitarian crisis, defeat the terror 
groups once and for all, and rally global diplomatic support. It is 
also a requirement that the leaders of the international community and 
these Arab nations be all in for peace and be willing to stand up to 
Iran once and for all.
  Crucially, the work ahead requires all of us to work together to 
reject the tactics of terror and chaos and choosing to build a brighter 
future.
  Iranian aggression has pitted two groups with a deep history of 
trauma into further trauma and pain. Yet, in this shared trauma lies 
the potential for profound peace. This conflict can be the foundation 
upon which we build lasting and sustainable stability, where both 
Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.
  Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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