‘Israel’s Existence Is Non-Negotiable’: Jerry Moran Calls For Continued US Support For Israel

5 months ago

On Wednesday, Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) delivered Senate floor remarks following Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s Congressional address.

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Transcript

00:00Senator from Kansas. Thank you, Madam President. This afternoon, Prime Minister

00:06Benjamin Netanyahu, in his remarks to a joint session of Congress, reiterated to

00:13Congress, to us, the Senate, to the American people, and really to the world,

00:17his determination to defend his country from terrorists supported by Iran who

00:23seek the elimination of the Jewish State of Israel. The United States must

00:27continue to provide Israel with crucial military and diplomatic support to make

00:31certain the dangers Israel faces can be deterred and that, if possible, they are

00:38avoiding, they are defeated, defeated those efforts to terrorize Israel. The

00:44horrific attack by Hamas nine months ago remains vivid in our thoughts. A few

00:50weeks after that attack, I was in Israel to visit with the Prime Minister to hear

00:54firsthand the circumstances that Israel and its citizens faced. In addition to

01:00those killed, the widespread instances of sexual assault and taking hostage of

01:05elderly and infants, under these circumstances, no person, no person of

01:09conscience, can fail to understand the desire to eliminate Hamas as a threat to

01:14the people of Israel. Our continued assistance to Israel is in our own

01:18national interest because the threats our friends face are also threats faced

01:24by the United States. This conflict may seem distant from our shores, but make no

01:29mistake that those who seek Israel's destruction aspire to harm American

01:33citizens wherever they may be, including here at home. Twelve Americans were taken

01:39hostage by Hamas on October 7th, and eight still remain held in captivity.

01:44Many hostages have died in captivity these last nine months, making it

01:48imperative that Hamas immediately free our citizens. Hezbollah continues to

01:54menace Israel on the northern border, with fire being exchanged daily, forcing

01:58the evacuation of thousands of Israelis. With more than a hundred thousand

02:02rockets aimed at Israel, Hezbollah, like Hamas, is a direct threat to American

02:07citizens living there. It's true there, and it's true beyond Israel. The

02:12intelligence community's worldwide threat assessment released this year

02:15found that Hezbollah, quote, maintains the capability to target U.S. persons and

02:20interests in the region, worldwide, and to a lesser extent in the United States.

02:25That assessment warns that that group will, quote, continue to develop its

02:29global terrorist capabilities. Our government, the United States of America,

02:34must commit alongside our allies and our partners to degrade Hezbollah's

02:37capabilities as a matter of international security. We saw as recently

02:43as last Friday, Friday's drone strike on a Tel Aviv apartment building, the Houthis

02:47in Yemen also opposed a significant regional threat. Their slogan, of course,

02:53includes, death to America, death to Israel. Their capabilities are expanding

02:58and have disrupted shipping through the Red Sea by launching attacks on cargo

03:02vessels. In response, the United States Navy has worked the last eight months to

03:07reestablish freedom of navigation. All these attacks, these three groups, what

03:13they have in common with their varying ideologies is the support that's

03:18provided to them by Iran. It's financial aid, it's weapons, it's training. Iran

03:23sustains these groups at the expense of our friends in the region and at the

03:28expense of our own security and well-being. Almost exactly one year ago

03:33today, I stood on this Senate floor. I stood here in the Senate and called on

03:38President Biden to enforce the bipartisan sanctions Congress had passed

03:42to choke off the resources Tehran uses to fund its activities. The regime has

03:49plotted terrorist attacks on our soil and threatens to assassinate former

03:53President Trump along with other officials from his administration. With

03:59its nuclear program now only weeks away from producing nuclear weapons, Iran is

04:04all the more, it is all the more imperative to take measures authorized

04:08by Congress. Israel's existence is non-negotiable and our shared adversaries

04:16must not doubt the resolution of American support. That is one

04:21reason why I view it as critical to pass the National Security Supplemental

04:26earlier this year, which provided Israel with 26 billion dollars to bolster its

04:31military. Standing with Israel goes beyond a one-off piece of legislation

04:37and I would remind my colleagues that we have begun the appropriations process

04:42here in the United States Senate and each year and I will continue this year

04:46to advocate for military assistance that strengthens Israel's ability to defend

04:50itself. As the committee begins to mark up 12 bills for the next fiscal year, I

04:55remind my colleagues it's important we quickly advance our appropriation

05:00legislation because of what is at stake for our nation and for our allies and

05:05for those of who support our friends. Support for Israel goes beyond Israel's

05:11security. That's an important goal in and of itself, but I remind my colleagues

05:17that support for Israel is support for the United States of America. Madam

05:21President, I yield the floor.

‘Israel’s Existence Is Non-Negotiable’: Jerry Moran Calls For Continued US Support For Israel

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