Chris Van Hollen: “in the aftermath of the horrific October 7 terrorist attack, Israel not only has the right, but also a duty to its…”

“in the aftermath of the horrific October 7 terrorist attack, Israel not only has the right, but also a duty to its people, to defend itself and pursue the objectives of ending the military threat posed by Hamas and returning all the hostages unharmed. I support those goals and therefore do not and would not support a resolution to terminate all U.S. military assistance to Israel. That is why I would like to begin by making clear what S. Res. 504 is not about. It is not about cutting off U.S. security assistance to Israel. Anyone who says otherwise has not read the resolution. So what does this resolution do? The very first line of the resolution states that its purpose is ``requesting information on Israel's human rights practices.'' The resolution goes on to seek information on ``alleged violations of internationally recognized human rights,'' including violations related to Israel's military operations and the ``denial of basic humanitarian needs'' like food, water, medical care, fuel, and shelter. While these are not simple questions, the resolution simply asks questions. And while I understand that some may be uncomfortable asking questions about the conduct of a close partner, we have a duty to the American taxpayers to get the facts. Israel is the largest annual recipient of U.S. security assistance, totaling more than $39 billion over the past 10 years alone.…”