George S. Helmy: “I come to the floor today as a New Jerseyan, as the only Arab American serving in the U.S. Senate, and as a human being…”

“I come to the floor today as a New Jerseyan, as the only Arab American serving in the U.S. Senate, and as a human being utterly devastated--broken, even--by the unfathomable scale of human suffering taking place right now in Gaza and the West Bank as a direct consequence of the Israel-Hamas conflict. This war has already claimed an estimated 44,000 lives across Gaza and the West Bank. Almost half of those killed by the bombshells and bullets of this war have been women and children--teens, toddlers, infants. That is not to mention the millions more who have been displaced from their homes by this conflict and threatened by famine and illness. According to current estimates, every hour, this conflict claims the lives of 15 innocent people--every single hour. It is reported that fully rebuilding Gaza and the West Bank after the war could take at least 200 years or more--literal centuries from now, well beyond our lifetimes. It should not matter what one's politics are, what one's religion is, what one's nationality is, or one's ethnicity. These facts should shock our conscience to the very core. On our watch, right before our eyes, we are witnessing one of the most rapid decimations of human life in recent history. Now, let me be clear about a couple of things. I have always and continue to firmly, unquestionably support Israel's right to exist and defend itself against all forms of terrorism and those who sponsor terrorism.…”