US lawmakers: Israel should be given time to defeat Hamas

Philanthropist Bobby Rechnitz (left), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) at a pro-Israel event in the U.S. Capitol, Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Shmuel Lenchevsky.

US lawmakers from across the political spectrum expressed on Tuesday their absolute support for Israel and called for Jerusalem to be given full backing to defeat the Hamas terrorist group.

The show of solidarity was made at an event promoting legislation to advance the US–Israel relationship and mint commemorative coins featuring former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. The event was held exactly 30 days after Hamas’s massacre of 1,400 Israelis on Oct. 7.

“We are going to give Israel the time it needs, and we need to maintain support to protect the people of Israel. It is essential that Hamas be destroyed. It is pure evil,” said Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD), chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at the event held in the US Capitol.

Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) also spoke about taking a strong stand with Israel. “There’s no way backing down is an option for Israel,” he said. “If they want me to join the fight with them, I will.”

There was strong support against a ceasefire, with Sen. Susan Collins (R-MN) saying such “would allow Hamas to regroup, rearm and attack again.”

Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) said: “This is an existential moment for the Jewish people and State of Israel. Bipartisan support is being tested right now, so we have to do everything we can to fortify that support.”

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) compared Hamas’ actions to the Nazi genocide. “We are meeting in the aftermath of the worst one-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. It was carried out by Hamas terrorists every bit as committed to genocide as were the Nazis.

“The United States will not abandon Israel and I am confident that Israel’s victory will be decisive,” said Cruz.

Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) said: “When you think about the attacks on Oct. 7, we all need to think about them as if they happened to our own family, because they did, and because it would be any of us if Hamas is allowed to advance and continue their reign of terror. Hamas is intent that this was only the first time, and there’ll be a second and a third and a thousandth.”

The event was called to achieve wide congressional support for legislation directing the Treasury Department to mint a commemorative coin in honor of Meir, Israel’s fourth prime minister and the first woman to lead the country.

The initiative is being spearheaded by chairman of the Golda Meir Commemorative Coin Committee, philanthropist and businessman Bobby Rechnitz.

“Prime Minister Golda Meir was many things. She desperately sought peace, and abhorred war, she was prepared to be forgiving, but she also knew that Israel cannot shirk a war forced on it,” said Rechnitz Tuesday. “Today, we commemorate thirty days since the greatest massacre of Jews since the end of the Holocaust. It was perpetrated by Hamas terrorists, but they were joined by ordinary Gazans.

“Israel is a nation still in shock and facing massive and national trauma. The terrorism that Israel has experienced is being imported to these shores. It is on American streets and online. This house must find ways to give people the maximum space for freedom of speech, but not the freedom to advocate and plot mass murder,” added Rechnitz.

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US lawmakers: Israel should be given time to defeat Hamas

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