In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Calls for Israel to Change Course in Gaza and End Collective Punishment of Civilians; Reiterates Support for Mutually Negotiated Ceasefire and Condemns Far-Right Netanyahu Administration

Floor Speech

“Thank you, M. President. It has been several months now since Hamas carried out a truly heinous terrorist attack against Israel.

The barbarity of October 7th should not be brushed aside, and cannot ever be excused. We are talking about terrorists gunning down innocent civilians, including in their homes, committing horrible acts of torture and sexual violence, and taking hostages—among them women, and elderly people, and infants.

As I have said repeatedly—Israel has a clear right to defend itself and its people, against the very real and continued threat that Hamas poses to Israeli civilians.

As I have also said many times—that has to be done in accordance with the laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law.

M. President, I appreciate that this is a tough, emotional topic—war always is. But at times like this, we cannot let passion kill compassion, we cannot let the horrors of the present end the hope for a brighter future.

As Israel seeks to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas, it must make every effort to protect innocent civilians in Gaza—who make up the vast, overwhelming majority of people in the Gaza strip.

But as we have watched this conflict escalate, it has become increasingly clear that is not what is happening.

Just consider—hundreds of Palestinians were injured or killed today after Israeli troops fired on civilians crowded near aid trucks desperate for something to eat. While we are still learning more about the details—you have to believe that this kind of bloodshed should be completely avoidable.

I come to the floor today as a friend of Israel—I understand the very real threats Israel—home to about half of the world’s Jews—faces outside its borders and in keeping its population safe.

And I come to the floor as someone who feels very strongly that Israel absolutely must change course—the collective punishment in Gaza has got to stop and Israel must do more to protect civilian life.

We need a mutually agreed upon ceasefire and end the fighting as soon as possible, we need the return of all hostages by Hamas, and we need a a massive surge in humanitarian aid.

Israel needs to understand that the casualties they’ve inflicted on the people of Gaza—the devastation they have caused—cannot continue. It is not in line with American interests, nor does it make Israel safer.

The prosecution of this war so far by Netanyahu’s far-right government has been nothing short of an unquestionable strategic failure. Many of the families of hostages have been protesting Netanyahu themselves, demanding a mutually negotiated ceasefire to see their loved ones safely returned.

Let’s consider what is actually happening in Gaza, the human reality on the ground.

There are over 2 million people in Gaza who have been displaced from their homes, and 1.7 million people facing imminent starvation. Most of the water in Gaza is unfit for consumption and two-thirds of the hospitals are no longer operating—there are only 11 left.

Think about that—think about what that means for the countless people who are starving, who are sick, and who are scared—the survivors.

Or better yet, listen to the firsthand accounts. I did.

There are more than 150,000 pregnant and lactating women in harm’s way. Doctors who had worked on the ground in Gaza spoke to me about performing emergency C-sections, on rubble, or in tents—without anesthesia—and women bleeding out because they couldn’t get medical care.

Since the start of the war, 66,000 thousand Palestinians have been injured, and 29,000 have been killed—more than half of them women and children.

We all understand that war is not a simple thing, but I’ll just say I don’t know how you call a military operation targeted when there are 29,000 deaths. I don’t know how you call it targeted when there are babies and children being pulled from the rubble.

Who does this serve? It cannot continue this way.

The situation in Gaza—and in the West Bank where there has been a disturbing rise in brazen violence from right-wing Israeli settlers against Palestinian families—does not lead to peace and security for Israelis or Palestinians. It just doesn’t.

And the rhetoric and stated policies of the Netanyahu regime—like abandoning a two-state solution—have been nothing short of deeply dangerous and wildly counterproductive.

I have voiced my strong support for the President’s Executive Order to allow sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank who threaten or perpetrate violence against Palestinians.

I also want to make crystal clear now: indefinite Israeli control over Gaza is unacceptable, as is any contraction of territory for the Palestinians.

M. President, as someone who voted against the war in Iraq, I am acutely aware of the mistakes our country made.

You cannot defeat terrorism through sheer military force alone—that much is clear. And it is my hope that Israel can heed that lesson. Winning a war against terrorism isn’t a matter of how many people you kill. That approach isn’t just bloody and brutal—it can be self-defeating.

Terrorists don’t care how many people you kill—they certainly don’t care how many civilians you kill. Because terrorism is not a human enemy of flesh and blood—it is an idea, it is a hatred, a violence, and it thrives on suffering.

So while Israel must work to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas—that fight must be targeted if it is to be successful.

You have to fight the hopelessness extremism feeds on. You have to fight the sprawl of violence that entrenches conflict. And you have to stay clear-eyed and strategic in pursuit of justice—and in pursuit of lasting peace.

I may be just one of 100 Senators here—but I have been using my voice to help move things in that direction.

On humanitarian aid, I have pressed the Biden Administration repeatedly, in many conversations, to take steps that would dramatically increase aid to Gaza.

And I made including humanitarian aid for Gaza in our national security package a red line for me as the Senate put together our bill—even as Republicans tried over and over and over again to chisel it away.

I also want to be clear about the fact that the taxpayer-funded military aid we provided to Israel for self-defense—is subject to the Leahy Law. I have insisted throughout many conversations that this law is implemented as intended, that civilians are protected, and that international law is followed.

And finally, on moving towards a lasting peace.

As President Biden recently noted—talks are ongoing and productive toward a mutually agreed upon ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages.

Recent developments like the deaths we saw today in Gaza City will likely make that more difficult. But diplomatic efforts must continue—even after this conflict—to ensure a lasting peace.

That’s why I have backed efforts to reiterate America’s longstanding policy of support for a two-state solution—and will rebuff any statements by Netanyahu or his government that reject Palestinian sovereignty.

And, it’s why it’s important to me that we don’t just talk about fighting the enemy, and winning the war. But that we also talk about facing the hatred—the Islamophobia and Antisemitism that have been on the rise in the wake of this conflict, and doing the work of peace—creating a future that ensures dignity and security for both Palestinians and Israelis alike.

I want to close by saying a bit about what’s been happening here—in America, and in my home state of Washington.

Because while this war may be happening across the world—it has been painful for our Arab and Jewish communities at home. They are seeing, not just horrific news—including sometimes about relatives and friends—but also a horrific rise in anti-Arab and antisemitic violence.

Synagogues in my state have faced bomb threats. A six-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois was stabbed to death. And across the nation there have been other disturbing reports of violence and threats against people perceived to be Arab, Muslim, or Jewish.

It is heartbreaking. And it is incumbent upon all of us to stand against that hatred.

Our North Star has to be valuing the humanity in others, and listening to the humanity in ourselves.

That is my message today M. President, and it is a message I am going to keep working to see put into action.

Thank you.”

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