Remarks Delivered at the Jewish Federation of Lee & Charlotte Counties' "Day of Solidarity for Israel"
Alliance for the Arts – Fort Myers, FLA.
October 19, 2023
Two days ago, Islamic Jihad terrorists in Gaza, indiscriminately launched a barrage of rockets towards the civilian areas surrounding Haifa. During their live reporting of the conflict, Al Jazeera–in real time–broadcasted one of the rockets misfiring and hitting a hospital. Without any evidence or proof, national and international media raced to promote the narrative of terrorists and blamed Israel. Thankfully, many of these outlets later retracted their false reporting, but the damage had been done. Ill-informed members of Congress and radical activists had maliciously spread this lie with dangerous consequences.
The vile scourge of anti-Semitism is once again rearing its ugly head. Those with the worst of intentions feel emboldened by the actions of terrorists. Radicals lionize the heinous imagery of paragliding Hamas terrorists, rip down the images of kidnapped Israelis, march with terrorist flags, and some have even marked doors with stars of David. This crisis is no more evident than at our universities. Jewish students do not feel safe on their own campuses. A student’s dorm room was lit on fire, professors have cheered the murder of innocent Jews, student leaders victim- blame the Israelis, and all while protestors yell the infamous and genocidal chant, “From the river to the sea.”
This must end.
Now more than ever, we have to stand with our Jewish neighbors, and our ally Israel.
A week and a half ago, barbaric, Iranian-backed terrorists committed the largest mass-murder of Jews since the Holocaust. They launched 6,700 rockets into civilian areas, kidnapped over 200 innocent people, and injured thousands. Top-secret Hamas documents revealed they specifically targeted the vulnerable. I’m not going to mince words: Israel must eliminate and obliterate Hamas. When terrorists rape, pillage, murder, and take hostages of innocent people, you cannot just go back to peace talks. There must be total victory for Israel.
Golda Meir was Israel’s legendary and battle-tested fourth Prime Minister. Today, her famous words ring hauntingly true. “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.”
My office is actively working to advance pro-Israel legislation in Congress. We have backed proposals to prevent financial aid to Iran, sanction the sale of Iranian oil, and authorize additional assistance to Israel by using assets confiscated from Iran. We have also joined legislation to condemn anti-Semitism, reaffirm the US-Israel alliance, condemn the barbarism of Hamas, stand with Israel as they fight Hamas, re-freeze the billions of Iranian funds that were released by the Biden administration, and demand the release of all hostages held in Gaza.
The Jewish people are resilient. In every decade, of every century, anti-Semites have devised hateful plots seeking their demise. But they have all failed. And they will fail again.
I stand with you. Our state stands with you. And our nation stands with you.
