Political Quotes

“I rise to speak today about what I believe can and should be the path forward to secure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians. I speak for myself, but I also speak for so many mainstream Jewish Americans, a silent majority whose nuanced views on the matter have never been well- represented in this country's discussions about the war in Gaza. My last name is Schumer, which derives from the Hebrew word ``shomer'' or guardian. Of course, my first responsibility is to America and to New York. But as the first Jewish majority leader of the U.S. Senate and the highest ranking Jewish elected official in America ever, I also feel very keenly my responsibility as a ``Shomer Yisreol''--a guardian of the people of Israel. Throughout Jewish history, there have been many shomrim and plenty who are far greater than I claim to be. But, nonetheless, this is the position in which I find myself now--at a time of great difficulty for the State of Israel, for the Jewish people, and for non-Jewish friends of Israel. So I feel an immense obligation to speak and to act. I speak as a member of a community of Jewish Americans that I know very well. They are my family, my friends. Many of them are my constituents. Many of them are Democrats, and many are deeply concerned about the pursuit of justice, both in New York and around the globe. From the Talmud--``Tikkun Olam,'' the call to ``repair the world''--has driven Jews around the globe to do what is right.…”