[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 123 (Tuesday, July 18, 2023)]
[House]
[Pages H3670-H3673]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF CONGRESS SUPPORTING THE STATE OF ISRAEL
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 57) expressing the sense of
Congress supporting the State of Israel.
The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows:
H. Con. Res. 57
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state;
(2) Congress rejects all forms of antisemitism and
xenophobia; and
(3) the United States will always be a staunch partner and
supporter of Israel.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. McCaul) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Meeks) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Texas.
General Leave
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include
extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Texas?
There was no objection.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, the President of Israel will address this body
in a joint session. It will be a great day in American history as
Representatives of one of the greatest democracies are addressed by the
head of state of another. Democracy and its shared values are at the
very core of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
The beauty of our friendship is that we stand together, shoulder to
shoulder, as we defend our freedom and our way of life from threats
like Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, and other forms of terrorism.
{time} 1545
Let me be clear. Israel is not a racist country. It is deeply
disturbing and concerning to me that some in this body have such a
profound misunderstanding of Israel and Israeli society.
The previous government in Israel had Arab parties and Arab ministers
serving in the coalition government. What a fantastic achievement for
democracy. It is no secret that Israel is a country in a tough
neighborhood that is clear-eyed in seeing many threats in its own
backyard.
The United States will always support Israel's right to self-defense.
We see Israeli citizens being murdered in senseless terrorist attacks.
At times, the fallen have been American citizens.
Israel is responsible for protecting the well-being of its citizens.
Protecting one's citizens from terrorist attacks is not racism. It is
national security. To think otherwise is small-minded, and quite
frankly, Mr. Speaker, it is just plain and simply wrong.
A key component of friendship is looking out for one another and
standing up for each other. Racism has no place in this body or in
public discord, period. I support this resolution rejecting false
accusations and repulsive anti-Israel statements. I stand--and I know
almost everyone in this Chamber stands--with our friends in Israel.
Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend from Texas (Mr. Pfluger) for bringing
this resolution forward. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support
this, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, and I
yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, we welcome Israel's President Herzog to the
United States of America.
For my entire career of 25 years in the House, and in recent weeks, I
have stood on this floor and spoken on the importance of the State of
Israel. The need for Israel to remain both Jewish and democratic is
without question.
Mr. Speaker, Israel cannot remain both Jewish and democratic unless
we have peace and if it does not live side by side in peace with the
Palestinian people. Both sides have to want peace. That is why I stand
strongly behind a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians.
As the resolution before us states, Israel is not a racist state. I
concur.
[[Page H3671]]
As the resolution before us states, Congress rejects all forms of
anti-Semitism and xenophobia. I concur.
Finally, as the resolution before us states, the United States will
always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel. I concur.
I look forward to hearing the address of Israel's President Herzog
tomorrow. The President is a rare symbol of unity in a polarized
society and a true asset to Israel. He has been working diligently to
bring all parties in Israel together to find consensus on judicial
reform, something that is necessary to preserve Israel's democratic
character, in my view. I encourage him to keep up this important work
and wish him much success.
Without question, the Democratic Party, my Democratic Party, supports
the long-term viability of the Jewish state and knows its true
character and importance. In fact, I, along with Leader Jeffries and
others, was in Israel recently to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the
Jewish state and was moved by the events we witnessed.
Mr. Speaker, I support wholeheartedly and encourage all of my friends
on both sides of the aisle to support this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Pfluger), the author of this resolution.
Mr. PFLUGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the State of Israel
and the Jewish community here in the United States of America and,
quite frankly, throughout the world.
I thank the chairman and the ranking member, two men who have worked
tirelessly on this very topic, this very subject.
I have a resolution. It is simple. It is one page. It is one page,
but I think it is powerful. It says the State of Israel is not a racist
or apartheid state. It says that Congress rejects all forms of anti-
Semitism and xenophobia. Lastly, it says that the United States will
always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.
It is simple. It is a one-page resolution that I think every Member
of Congress should be able to agree on. Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, we
have heard disgusting statements from Members on the other side of the
aisle against Israel.
Mr. Speaker, as I look at this debate here, this is the time when
anyone who has said those types of things can come to the House floor
to debate and have a conversation. If there is disagreement with this,
let's let the American people hear that disagreement.
From my standpoint, we look at Israel as the most important partner
in the Middle East. Tomorrow, in fact, as we welcome President Herzog
to this very body, to the United States, to a joint address of
Congress, it is critical for the U.S. Congress to send a unified
message that we stand with Israel and unequivocally support our Jewish
communities. There is no place for hate or hateful words.
Mr. Speaker, I hope this is an easy vote today. It should be easy.
All 435 Members of this body should be able to vote in affirmation of
this so that when President Herzog enters this body tomorrow, he knows
unequivocally that the United States is with Israel and that the entire
world knows that.
In fact, 75 years ago, within minutes of being recognized as a
nation, the United States was the very first to recognize Israel as a
nation. It is because we both believe in freedom. We both believe in a
trusted partnership. We both believe in pushing back against enemies
around the world like Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism,
that would seek to undermine at every turn the State of Israel.
Where are those colleagues if they disagree?
I think what this debate tells me today, seeing very little
disagreement on the House floor, is that we as the United States of
America, that we as the U.S. Congress, that the House of
Representatives believes in the tenets.
I will say it one more time. The State of Israel is not a racist or
apartheid state. Congress rejects all forms have anti-Semitism or
xenophobia. The United States will always be a staunch partner and
supporter of Israel.
Mr. Speaker, not only do I urge my colleagues to support this, but I
urge my colleagues to stand up against bullying against those who would
say things that are not true, those that would denounce or use words
that are hateful in their rhetoric, that undermine the very essence of
the nation of Israel, and that undermine the freedoms that this country
stands for.
Mr. Speaker, it is with great honor that I am able to author this and
stand before the American public and reaffirm, on the 75th anniversary
of Israel as a nation, our support in the United States of America for
a nation that I believe is divinely inspired.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Manning).
Ms. MANNING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 57,
expressing the sense of Congress supporting the State of Israel.
Israel, the historic homeland of the Jewish people, is a robust,
thriving, multiracial, multiethnic, and multireligious democracy that
shares our democratic values. Like the United States, Israel is not
perfect. It has challenges and policies that are openly criticized,
often by the Israeli people themselves.
Let me be clear. Israel is not now and never has been a racist state.
That characterization is contrary to the facts. It is an untrue and
unfair characterization that slanders our strongest ally in the region.
Significantly, Israel is the world's only Jewish state. Prior to its
founding, Jews suffered centuries of persecution with no country, not
one that would guarantee their safe haven. Since its founding, Israel
has valued equal rights for all its citizens. It has provided a home to
Jewish refugees from all across the globe, from Ethiopia to the Soviet
Union to Argentina to Ukraine, all while living under threat from
neighbors and terrorist groups dedicated to Israel's destruction.
Too often, divisive voices are quick to demonize Israel. Today, we
reaffirm our commitment to the U.S.-Israel relationship. Tomorrow, I
will be proud to welcome President Herzog to a historic joint meeting
of Congress where the bipartisan majority of this body will stand
together to commemorate and cherish the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting to support
this straightforward resolution and stand with our democratic ally
Israel.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Nebraska (Mr. Bacon).
Mr. BACON. Mr. Speaker, I stand here in support of this resolution
today. I look forward to welcoming the President of Israel tomorrow and
hearing his message.
I also stand here in support of this resolution condemning the
comments that Israel is a racist country. It is not. We all stand here
today united against anti-Semitism and the evil that it represents. It
is repugnant.
Mr. Speaker, I will make clear today from my perspective why it is so
important to stand with our ally Israel. We have practical reasons,
moral reasons, and spiritual reasons--practical in that Israel is the
only nation in the region that shares our democratic values, the values
of rule of law and human dignity. It is a win-win relationship.
{time} 1600
We gain from it, they gain from it, and our countries are stronger
together.
It is moral because for thousands of years, the Jews were repressed,
discriminated against, abused, and murdered. The nation of Israel was
put together to be a safe haven from all over the world where they
could go, and that remains true today.
I would say it is spiritual, for I believe in the words of the Torah
and our Old Testament when it says that those who bless Israel will be
blessed, and, indeed, America has been blessed.
Mr. Speaker, I stand in support of this resolution, and I appreciate
my friend from Texas who is a fellow Air Force veteran who put this
together.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Iowa
(Mr. Nunn).
Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this
resolution and the State of Israel.
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On July 18, 2023, page H3671, in the third column, the following
appeared: Mr. NUNN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of
this resolution and the State of Israel.
The online version has been corrected to read: Mr. NUNN of Iowa.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this resolution and
the State of Israel.
========================= END NOTE =========================
[[Page H3672]]
I compliment both the chair for leading this, Mr. McCaul, as well as
my colleague, Representative Pfluger, for being brave enough to stand
forward and call out Israel not only as an ally, but as standing in
that steely breach as a force for democracy, as a force for freedom,
and a voice for free people in a world too often tried time and time
again by tyrants and terrorists.
Our support for Israel is critical during times of global uncertainty
and continued aggression by adversaries around both the region and the
world.
When I worked with the Israeli Defense Forces, I saw the threats
firsthand from the Golan Heights to the north to the kibbutzes in the
south.
Across the world, we must reject anti-Semitism in all its forms and
stand with Israel and the people of Israel against these threats. We
cannot let our strongest ally in the Middle East be left alone.
Mr. Speaker, I will continue in my unwavering support of Israel and
encourage my colleagues to join me.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio
(Mr. Miller).
Mr. MILLER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding.
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to once again reaffirm my steadfast
commitment to a free and prosperous State of Israel.
Mr. Speaker, today every single Member of this honorable body will
have the opportunity to stand against anti-Semitism, to stand against
bigotry, to stand against hatred, and to stand for the forever home of
the Jewish people, our great friend and democratic ally in the Middle
East, the key pillar to freedom and democracy for the entire region,
and the home of so much of our shared history: the State of Israel.
Today we bring forward yet another opportunity. It is yet another
opportunity for individuals in this body to set their words and their
records straight and to walk back their words, which they so often
choose to do.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the right to close, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, in the 117th Congress, when I became the chair of
Foreign Affairs Committee, my first stop was in Israel celebrating the
Fourth of July.
I said then what I will say now: Israel and the United States stand
together because we have and share the same values. We believe in
democracy.
We know that Israel is a nation that at its foundation is not only
Jewish but democratic.
Its existence is crucial for the future of the Jewish people. We know
that this Congress will continue to expressly reject all forms of anti-
Semitism and xenophobia as this resolution before us states.
We stand together, and I would hope that all Members of this august
body welcome President Herzog tomorrow as we listen and continue to
work with our strongest ally in the Middle East.
Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr.
Sherman).
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, this is an excellent resolution. Israel is
not a racist or apartheid state. Congress should and does reject all
forms of anti-Semitism and xenophobia, and the United States will
always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel.
However, why are we taking this up today?
We are taking this up today because one of our colleagues from the
State of Washington made a statement and then withdrew it.
The question is: Why didn't we take up this resolution when Nick
Fuentes, a Holocaust denier, was honored by the former President and
given a chance to have dinner with the former President at his home in
Mar-a-Lago?
That is when we should have dealt with this resolution.
We should have taken up this resolution when Kanye West had the honor
of dinner with Donald Trump, the former President of the United States.
We should have taken up this resolution when our colleagues, Mr.
Gosar and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, both at different times
joined Fuentes on stage, and in each case after they were denounced for
the anti-Semitic act of lending their authority to Mr. Fuentes, these
individuals did not withdraw, they did not apologize, and they did not
condemn Mr. Fuentes.
So we should believe in this resolution every day, and if we are
going to allocate floor time, it should be when Holocaust deniers are
honored by our colleagues and by the former President of the United
States.
Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this resolution today, but I will
believe in this resolution 365 days each year, including those days in
which certain others do something outrageous.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have remaining.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Bacon). The gentleman from New York has
10\1/2\ minutes remaining.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from the
great State of Michigan (Ms. Tlaib).
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, I am the only Palestinian American serving in
Congress, and I have family members all throughout the West Bank and
what many people call the illegally occupied territories.
We are here again reaffirming Congress' support for apartheid.
Policing the words of women of color who dare to speak up about truth
and about oppression is just not what we should be doing here in
Congress.
Let's just get the record straight here. This is not something that
is made up. The United Nations Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International, and Israel's own largest human rights organization,
B'Tselem, all agree that Israel is an apartheid state.
To assert otherwise, Mr. Speaker, in the face of this body of
evidence is an attempt to deny the reality and to normalize violence of
apartheid.
This week we are going to hear consistently people touting about, oh,
this is bipartisan support here.
Don't forget, this body, this Congress, supported a South African
apartheid regime, and it was bipartisan as well.
Mr. Speaker, you don't have to take it from me to understand the
racism of an apartheid government. Let's take a moment just to hear
Israeli Government's own politician in their own words. This is a
direct quote, not mine. Current Prime Minister Netanyahu on his
policies toward Palestinians said: ``Beat them up, not once but
repeatedly, beat them up until it is unbearable.''
He said that Israel must ``crush Palestinian hopes for a fully
sovereign state.''
One of the former defense ministers said that Palestinians are
``beasts. They are not human.''
He is talking about people like my grandmother, Mr. Speaker.
How about a former justice minister who said: ``They should go, as
should the physical homes in which they raised the snakes. Otherwise,
more little snakes will be raised there.''
How about another former defense minister said: ``Those who are
against us, there is nothing to be done. We need to pick up an ax and
cut off his head.''
Another quote: ``There is no such thing as a Palestinian people.''
How is that not racism at its core?
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the
gentlewoman from Michigan.
Ms. TLAIB. Mr. Speaker, Israel's own President Herzog is going to
come before Congress tomorrow. He has long advocated against
interracial marriages.
Did you all know that?
Do you care?
He said it on a news segment. Look it up.
When he came to America, he said: ``I encountered something that I
called an actual plague. I saw my friends' children married or coupled
with non-Jewish partners.''
Israel is an apartheid state. The Israeli Government is deeply
problematic in the way that they are proceeding in the structure of
oppression.
Mr. Speaker, just like I speak up against injustices here in America,
this is about speaking up against violence. Congress must stop funding
apartheid.
Mr. MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
[[Page H3673]]
Mr. Speaker, there is nothing progressive about racism. Racism is
ugly. I know my colleague, my dear friend, Mr. Meeks, who is a member
of the Congressional Black Caucus, knows what racism is.
He is also the strongest supporter of Israel.
I know our colleague, John Lewis, knew what racism really is, and
racism is ugly.
Israel is not a racist state. My father was a bombardier in a B-17.
He bombed the Nazis.
Why were we at war with Adolf Hitler and the Nazis?
For many reasons, but, fundamentally, because of their values. They
were anti-Semitic. During the Holocaust, racism, in its ugliest form,
took place in the concentration camps in Europe and, indeed, in
Auschwitz, where I attended to see the horrors of what mankind can do
against mankind.
Why was the State of Israel formed?
Israel was formed out of a racist society to say to the world: No
longer, never forget, and we will not tolerate racism.
Mr. Speaker, 75 years later we stand here in this body celebrating
this democratic state in the Middle East that was formed because of
persecution and because of racism. We do not stand for racism. No one
in this Chamber should stand for racism.
To call Israel, which was formed as a result of racism, anti-
Semitism, and hatred, to call that very country a racist state is
repugnant to all of our values.
I think everyone in this Chamber should vote ``yes,'' because as my
dear friend across the aisle knows, racism and anti-Semitism have no
place--no place--not only in this Chamber, but not in America and not
anywhere in the world. Where we see it, we denounce it in its most
ugliest form.
So this is a call to action to defend her and to defend the nation
that was created by primarily the United States and our allies as a
result of the hatred that we saw come out of Nazi Germany.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Speaker, I rise to address H. Con. Res. 57.
I condemn antisemitism and hate in all its forms, and my record is
clear. Last Congress, I voted for H. Res. 1125 affirming this stance,
and I have always and will always speak out against hate.
I also support the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live
in safety. As Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee in the
117th Congress. I fully funded the Iron Dome and U.S.-Israeli
cooperative missile defense programs that help ensure Israel's
security.
As a long-time supporter of a two-state solution, I am deeply
troubled by the record of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and actions
of the Israeli government that run counter to this stated goal. For
example, the Israeli government's decision in 2018 to enact their
Nation-State law, which restricts the rights of Palestinians. Or the
lack of accountability for how Israel uses the $3.8 billion in annual
security assistance provided by the United States. These concerns are
central to why I introduced H.R. 3103 to prevent U.S. taxpayer dollars
from being used to support the military detention of Palestinian
children, demolish Palestinian homes, or annex Palestinian lands.
I am proud to serve in the United States House of Representatives, in
the greatest democracy in the world. A cornerstone of a strong
democracy is the ability to openly criticize our government when we
feel it is doing something against our values. As a Member of Congress,
I have often criticized the policies of my own government. That does
not make me anti-American. And criticizing the policies of the Israeli
government does not make one antisemitic.
H. Con. Res. 57 does nothing to advance the goal of a peaceful
solution to end the conflict. Striving for an Israeli state and a
Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security is worth
the effort of every Member of Congress. But that means Congress will
need to support the rights, needs, and aspirations of both Palestinians
and Israelis.
Attempting to silence conversations about Palestinian human rights
and intimidate people who wish to have open and honest conversations
about the mistreatment of the Palestinian people will only prolong this
problem. I will not be silenced. I will keep speaking up against
antisemitism, oppression, and hate in all forms.
I will vote ``present'' on this resolution, because Americans,
Israelis, and Palestinians deserve genuine steps forward on the goal of
peace, not more division and political gamesmanship. I do this because
every Palestinian child and Israeli child deserves to go to sleep at
night dreaming of a brighter future, not one of violence.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul) that the House suspend the rules and
agree to the concurrent resolution, H. Con. Res. 57.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
____________________