Supporting Israel

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that the United States was the first country to recognize the newly declared State of Israel nearly 76 years ago, merely 11 minutes after its creation.

I am also proud that, within 11 days of Hamas' barbaric attack on Israel that started this current war, President Joe Biden landed in Tel Aviv, sending two carrier strike groups and becoming the first U.S. President to ever visit Israel during a time of war.

On October 7, at approximately 6:30 a.m., Hamas launched thousands of rockets at cities across Israel, sending millions of Israelis into bomb shelters and safe rooms while providing cover for a swarming army of Hamas terrorists who invaded the country and launched a genocidal attack, brutally murdering more than 1,200 people, wounding more than 3,000 others, and taking more than 250 hostages back into Gaza.

In the 6 months since Hamas started this war, Israel has been fighting for its existence on many fronts, facing attacks and threats from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran.

It is more than just the mortars, rockets, missiles, and drones threatening Israel. Israel's enemies have two key strategies in their campaign to destroy and delegitimize the Jewish state: One, distort the truth with canards and libelous accusations against Israel and the Jewish people; and two, isolate Israel in global forums and in the world of public opinion.

South Africa is perversely accusing Israel of genocide in the International Criminal Court of Justice. Of course, when you lift the veil of this grotesque distortion of the truth, you see that Iran is also behind South Africa's actions, just like Iran finances and fuels Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis.

Meanwhile, in cities around the world as well as here in the United States, anti-Israel protests are replete with calls for the elimination of the Jewish state, most clearly manifest in the chant ``from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.''

And look no further than the rally just last Friday in Dearborn, Michigan, where the crowd chanted not only ``death to Israel,'' but ``death to America.''

I am grateful for the leadership and moral clarity of the Biden administration as well as the mayor of Dearborn when they roundly condemned this hateful rhetoric.

Israel's enemies, from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran, to groups here in the United States like SJP, AMP, and JVP are doing everything they can to demonize, delegitimize, and ultimately destroy the only Jewish state on Earth.

But let's be clear: The war Hamas started on October 7 is not just a war against Israel. Iran's vision is not just the destruction of Israel, but the conquest of the entire Muslim world and the defeat of the West. The Houthis are not launching rockets at just Israeli ships in the Red Sea. They are targeting global commerce in general. In this war, Israel's allies must do everything we can to fight the lies and ensure Israel and the Israeli people know that they are not alone.

This is why I traveled to Israel with Jewish lay leaders from Chicago in February and last month traveled with several of my colleagues from here in Congress.

This is why I oppose the Republican resolution we are considering this week. The text of this resolution plays loose with the truth, and the intent is not to help Israel, but to win political points and further weaken the bipartisan support Israel has long enjoyed in this body.

Don't take my word for it. This is how Axios described the resolution: ``It is the latest in a series of Israel-related wedge votes House Republicans have held since Hamas' October 7 attack.''

If my Republican colleagues want to help our ally and protect our national security, we shouldn't be debating this partisan resolution. Instead, we should be voting on the essential funding bill to help Israel fight its war against our common enemies, as well as ensuring Ukraine defeats Russia, and Taiwan remains secure.

The Senate passed this bill 2 months ago. The House should have passed it in February as well. It is as shameful as it is dangerous that we still have not voted on this desperately needed assistance yet today.

Mr. Speaker, Iran understands that diminishing the bipartisan support for Israel in Congress only hurts our ally and advances our enemies' agenda.

Why are Republicans so willing to play into the hands of Iran and Israel's other enemies? The U.S.-Israel relationship is being tested. Congress is being tested. It is up to us here today to pass this test.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this resolution and instead vote for the essential funding bill coming over from the Senate.

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