On the recordOctober 18, 2023
the images that have been emerging from Israel in the aftermath of the Hamas terrorist assault are shocking in the extreme. Our hearts are with the Israeli people in the wake of these atrocities, and all of us here in America need to stand strongly, firmly, and united for our friend and ally, Israel. Here in Congress, there is strong bipartisan support to stand with Israel against Hamas. But what does that mean? What does that mean to stand with Israel? Of course, it means providing military aid. And, of course, it means providing diplomatic support. I am pleased to cosponsor a bipartisan legislation from the Foreign Relations Committee under the leadership of Chairman Cardin and Ranking Member Risch that expresses the Senate's support for Israel against terrorism. But today, standing with Israel also means standing against the largest state sponsor of terror in the world, and that is Iran. For too long, the United States has negotiated with Iran and made concessions. Such policies have not brought peace. Many of my colleagues and I have warned for years that giving money to Iran, letting Iran sell oil, and giving Iran access to weapons would destabilize the entire region. And, sure enough, over the last decade, we have watched Iran extract concessions in one negotiation after another while creating chaos in Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, and beyond. And now we see the hand of Iran behind Hamas and this horrific assault on Israel.…
