On the recordOctober 25, 2023
Madam President, 18 days ago, terror shook the Middle East. Eighteen days ago, Hamas tore children from their parents and tore mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters from their families. Eighteen days ago, terrorism swept across Israel, destroying everything in its path. We all know this. We have heard about these attacks repeatedly with every news cycle. Even as we continue reading articles, hearing analyses, and seeing new information, let us not forget the reality of these terror attacks, the seriousness of such a massive loss of human life. Hamas killed over 1,400 people, over 1,400 innocent civilians, in its attacks this month. Death touched thousands of friends and family members, and its aftereffects are still rippling across Israel and across the world. Let us resist our modern impulse to leave this tragedy behind in favor of the next headline, the next crisis. Let us allow the abuse, the torture, and the murder of Israelis and Americans alike to strike a fresh sense of grief and anger in our hearts every time we hear about them. That grief and anger must drive us to respond to the horror of terrorism. Israel is responding, yes, but the response to terrorism should not be bound by Israel's national borders because terrorism itself is not bound by national borders. Hamas killed American citizens in its attack on innocent people across Israel. Terrorists are still holding American citizens hostage in Gaza. Hamas has American blood on its hands.…





