On the recordJuly 24, 2024
Madam President, I rise today in support of America's great ally, Israel. Israel is more than an ally; she represents hope in the Middle East, hope for the world. I actually visited Israel 2 weeks after October 7, after that attack, visited with a bipartisan delegation not only to Israel but throughout the Middle East. Remember that Israel was created after the Holocaust so that the Jewish people would never have to hide again. This is something that former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer talked to us about during our visit. A colleague of mine shared that his daughter asked him right after 9/ 11: Are we safe? The truth is that October 7 was similar to our 9/11. However, there is also a large difference. On October 8, Israel knew exactly who the perpetrator was. They knew exactly where they were. They were just miles away--their neighbor. It is like if we woke up on September 12, 2001, and we had the terrorists who had masterminded the attacks of 9/ 11 living next door in Brooklyn. Additionally, they said they would come back again and again and again and again until they eradicated the Jewish people and the State of Israel. That is the proximity and the gravity of the threat that Israel faces. It is literally at their doorstep. And, bottom line, they can't tell their daughters that they are safe right now. Madam President, 291 days--over 9 months--have passed now, but we can't forget what happened on October 7.…





