[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 24, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5335-S5336]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                                 Israel

  Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, the Prime Minister of Israel, Binyamin 
Netanyahu, just delivered a historic speech to Congress. This is the 
fourth time the Prime Minister has spoken to the U.S. Congress. That is 
more than the late Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston 
Churchill.
  Like Prime Minister Churchill, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu 
spoke about a battle between freedom and evil. He shared with us 
welcome news, and that news is that freedom is winning.
  Israel is committed to bringing home the hostages, to protecting its 
citizens from the atrocities that occurred on the October 7 attack.
  Meanwhile, the Hamas terrorist network is under more pressure than 
ever. Half of its senior leadership is dead. Its military chief has 
likely been eliminated.
  Remember, Hamas is a terrorist group. It governs through fear and 
through violence. Hamas violently rejects the right of Israel to exist 
and the right of the Jewish people to live in Israel. Hamas hides 
behind civilians. It uses them as human shields.
  Hamas stores its military weapons designed to kill in hospitals, in 
schools, and in homes. It has stolen billions of dollars of 
humanitarian aid to build its terrorist tunnels all around the area of 
the Gaza Strip. This is the same tunnel network where, for 9 months and 
counting, 116 hostages, including 8 American hostages, have been held 
by Hamas terrorists.

  I stand firmly with Israel as Israel fights to finish the war and 
defeat Hamas. Sadly, supporting Israel has grown more divisive in this 
country than I have ever seen it before.
  Today, Democrats are abandoning our greatest ally in the Middle East. 
They are calling to put conditions on aid to Israel. The Biden-Harris 
administration has delayed the delivery of war-winning weapons.
  The Senate Democrat leader meddled in Israeli politics. He proclaimed 
in no uncertain terms on the floor of this very body that Prime 
Minister Netanyahu should step down.
  The senior Senator from Vermont went even further. Last month, he 
declared that Prime Minister Netanyahu is a ``war criminal.'' That 
accusation is disturbing, it is damaging, and it is dishonest.
  If that weren't bad enough, Vice President Harris skipped the Prime 
Minister's speech entirely. The Vice President typically presides over 
joint sessions of Congress. With her snub of Israel, Vice President 
Harris is leading the Democrats' Bibi boycott.
  Catering to the pro-Hamas wing of the Democratic Party is not serious 
leadership--not at all.
  The Vice President now wants to be Commander in Chief of the United 
States of America. Yet she refuses to put politics aside and work with 
our indispensable ally. Her actions send a defeatist message--a 
defeatist message to our enemies and a defeatist message to our allies 
alike.
  This is a time when it is so critical for us to restore confidence in 
America. Here is what we need to do and how to do it: You do it with 
peace through strength, with strong, steady, and serious support for 
Israel and for Israel's right to exist.
  What is the approach of President Biden today? What is the approach 
of Vice President Harris? What is the approach of the Senate Democrats, 
Members of this body? Is it to continue to appease our adversaries and 
at the same time abandon our friends? This is a dangerous world. It is 
more dangerous under the failed policies of the Biden-Harris 
administration.
  America cannot continue down the Democrats' path of war and weakness. 
Keeping America safe requires that America and Israel work together. We 
heard that today in the joint session of Congress.
  Republicans believe in Israel's mission to defeat Hamas. We 
understand fully what is at stake, and our support is firm. We must 
unite and bring back peace through strength.
  Now more than ever, the American people need to stand with Israel, 
and I am one of those people who will continue to stand with Israel.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.
  Mr. RICKETTS. Madam President, Israel is our strongest and closest 
ally in the Middle East. It is in our mutual interest to provide Israel 
the support they need to be able to destroy the terrorist group Hamas 
and secure the release of the remaining hostages. I am committed to 
doing that. My colleagues joining me today are committed to doing that.

[[Page S5336]]

  Yet the Biden-Harris administration has repeatedly appeased the 
radical pro-Hamas elements of their base. In fact, President Biden had 
to be pressured to put a meeting on the calendar with the Prime 
Minister. That should have been a no-brainer.
  Vice President Kamala Harris, whose only constitutional duty is to 
preside over the Senate, didn't even attend today's speech. She has one 
job--and I understand that being the presumptive nominee is new, but 
she does have a day job. Instead, she chose a petty snub of our closest 
ally in the Middle East and a democratically elected leader. This is 
not how America should treat its allies.
  Sadly, this is one part of a larger pattern. The Biden-Harris 
administration has consistently undermined Israel's democratically 
elected government. After taking office, this administration gave $730 
million to UNRWA, an organization that has been described as 
essentially being a branch of Hamas. President Trump had ended their 
U.S. taxpayer funding. President Biden and Vice President Harris 
brought it back. Their actions caused American taxpayer dollars to 
directly support Hamas terrorists in their attacks on our ally and our 
citizens.
  At least 12 UNRWA employees, funded in part by Biden-Harris, directly 
participated in the barbaric terror attack on October 7. Over 100 UNRWA 
employees have ties to Hamas or other Islamic jihad entities. Over 
1,200 Israelis were killed, including nearly two dozen American 
citizens. Many were taken as hostages. Eight Americans are still being 
held hostage today somewhere in Gaza 291 days after October 7.
  We need to stand with Israel until Israel completes its mission to 
free the hostages, bring justice to the terrorists, and restore peace. 
That is the best solution for the Israelis. That is the best solution 
for the Gazans. That is the best solution, period.
  The Biden-Harris administration has also pressured Israel toward a 
cease-fire with the same barbaric Hamas terrorists who want to kill 
Jews and have pledged to continue to perpetrate atrocities like October 
7. Meanwhile, Biden and Harris have repeatedly withheld or delayed 
critical shipments of weapons needed to destroy Hamas. They have 
attacked the legitimacy of Israel's democratically elected leader. So 
much for ``ironclad.''
  Americans stand with Israel. My colleagues and I stand with Israel. 
We are proud to stand with Israel. The Biden-Harris administration 
should do the same.
  Thank you to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for his comments 
earlier today. They reminded us why it is so important that Israel is 
successful in destroying Hamas. They will be doing the world and 
civilization a favor in doing so.
  Thank you to my colleagues for joining me today on the floor.

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