Senator Reverend Warnock cosponsors a bipartisan resolution expressing solidarity with Israel in the wake of the unprovoked Hamas terrorist attack
Senator Reverend Warnock has worked to bolster the United States’ commitment to Israel and support Georgia’s Jewish communities
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) cosponsored and introduced a bipartisan resolution expressing solidarity with Israel in the wake of the unprovoked Hamas terrorist attack. The resolution, introduced by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Ranking Member James Risch (R-ID), reaffirms American support for Israel at a critical period for U.S.-Israel relations as Israel and Hamas are at war.
“[The Senate] stands with Israel as it defends itself, including Israeli efforts to diminish the threat posed by Hamas; reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense, and is committed to helping Israel safeguard its people from future aggression,” wrote Senator Reverend Warnock in this bipartisan resolution. “[The Senate] demands that Hamas immediately cease its attacks against Israel and safely release all living hostages and return the bodies of deceased hostages; and stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply or other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support needs, both during the immediate crisis and in the near future, including by accelerating delivery of defense articles and systems.”
Specifically, the resolution demonstrates that the Senate:
- Reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense now and in the future;
- Calls on all countries to unequivocally condemn Hamas’ war on Israel, including Hamas’ intentional targeting of, and attacks against, civilians;
- Demands that Hamas immediately cease its attacks against Israel and safely release all living hostages and return the bodies of deceased hostages;
- Condemns Iran’s support for global terrorism, including its support for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad;
- Calls on the U.S. to lead an international effort, including through sanctions, to deprive Hamas of Iranian and other sources of funding and lethal assistance that the terror group relies on to threaten Israel;
- Warns any other party hostile to Israel against taking advantage of the current situation;
- Reaffirms the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security, including through security assistance, consistent with the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding Between the United States and Israel; and
- Stands ready to assist Israel with emergency resupply or other security, diplomatic, and intelligence support needs, both during the immediate crisis and in the near future, including by accelerating delivery of defense articles and systems.
The resolution follows Senator Warnock’s October 10th statement condemning Hamas’ unprovoked attack, saying “the heinous acts of violence visited upon the people of Israel by Hamas—mothers, children, and seniors, including American citizens—were horrific and are rightly condemned by all who believe in human dignity and seek a lasting peace. What these events make clear is that there are those who fear peace and seek to sabotage it at any cost. We must not let them win.”
Senator Warnock has worked to bolster the United States’ commitment to Israel. Over the summer, he attended Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s speech to a joint session of Congress and reaffirmed his commitment to bring Israel and America closer together. In June 2022, Senator Warnock was a part of a bipartisan group of 34 Senators urging the Biden Administration to maintain the United States Security Coordinator (USSC) position at the three-star rank in order to maintain stability in Israel and the West Bank. Senator Warnock was also a cosponsor to a resolution recognizing Israeli-American culture and heritage and the contributions of the Israeli-American community to the United States.
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