[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 146 (Thursday, September 19, 2024)]
[House]
[Page H5453]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    COMMEMORATING THE 1-YEAR SINCE HAMAS' BARBARIC ATTACK ON ISRAEL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Kustoff) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KUSTOFF. Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the 1-year 
anniversary of Hamas's vicious and horrific attack on Israel.
  As we all know, in the early morning of October 7, Hamas invaded and 
brutally attacked Israel and her people, murdering over 1,200 innocent 
men, women, and children, including 35 Americans. These terrorists 
violently took hostages, including Americans.
  In the weeks after the attacks, I watched a 47-minute video taken on 
October 7. I watched it along with other Members of Congress. All of us 
who saw the images and heard the words and the language of that day 
were horrified. The savagery, the barbarism, the violence, and the pure 
hatred against Israel and the Jewish people is indescribable on that 
video, but yet we all know what happened.
  Indeed, the world changed forever on that day.
  Now, here we are 1 year later, and Hamas still has innocent hostages 
captive and we continue to see a rise in anti-Semitism across the globe 
and in our own Nation.
  I am honored to serve as chairman of something called the House-
Knesset Parliamentary Friendship Group. I am also proud that this group 
is bipartisan. In July, I traveled to Israel to meet with Speaker of 
the Knesset Amir Ohana and also Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin 
Netanyahu.
  When I was there, I reiterated that the United States House of 
Representatives continues to stand with Israel. I told Israeli 
leadership that our Nation will ensure that Israel will have the 
resources that it needs to defend itself.
  I also had the opportunity to visit Kfar Aza, which is a kibbutz in 
southern Israel, as well as the site of the Tribe of Nova music 
festival with the Israel Defense Forces.
  Madam Speaker, I have to tell you it was deeply moving to stand where 
Hamas invaded and murdered and butchered so many innocent Israelis. 
When I was there, I met and I talked with family members and heard the 
real-life stories of those who survived, those who are being held 
captive, and those who were brutally and viciously mutilated and 
murdered.
  Madam Speaker, I have to tell you that I am truly impressed by the 
resilience of the Israeli people, by their hope, and by their strong 
morale against the barbarism that tries to stifle the will of Israel.

  The United States stands unequivocally with our greatest ally in the 
Middle East, that being Israel. Israel fights an enemy who not only 
seeks the elimination of Israel, but more broadly, the elimination of 
Western values like freedom, liberty, and democracy. Prime Minister 
Netanyahu told us as much when he spoke right here giving a joint 
address to a joint session of Congress back in July.
  It is so important that we come together and ensure that Israel has 
the resources and support that it needs so that they can combat this 
evil.
  We also continue to condemn the blatant and brazen forms of anti-
Semitism that have arisen here in the United States and certainly 
around the world. Such hatred can't be tolerated. It can't be tolerated 
in the Halls of Congress or anywhere else in this country or in the 
world. It is really a matter of good versus evil and life versus death.
  Israel and the U.S. are committed to defeating Hamas and ensuring 
that all the hostages are returned home, but we can't stop there. We 
have got to work together to wipe terrorism off of the face of the 
Earth, and we have got to make sure that Israel can live in peace with 
her neighbors.

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