Cornyn Applauds Senate Passage of Resolution Supporting Israel

by John Cornyn on October 23, 2023 at 12:20 PM

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after the Senate unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution he cosponsored in support of Israel:

“Since Hamas launched its unprovoked attacks on Israel, we have witnessed evil in its purest form,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I applaud the Senate’s swift action to support Israel’s right to self-defense against these barbaric attacks and will continue to advocate for any form of assistance our ally needs in its fight against terrorism.”

Text of the resolution is below, and you can view the full resolution here.

“Whereas on October 7, 2023, Hamas, an organization designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization, launched an unprecedented attack on Israel by air, land, and sea;

Whereas this heinous assault took place just after the 50^thanniversary of the multi-front 1973 Yom Kippur War against Israel and while Israeli Jews were preparing to celebrate Simchat Torah;

Whereas Hamas, which has long been supported by Iran, launched thousands of rockets into southern and central Israel;

Whereas Hamas terrorists crossed the Israeli land border, killing civilians and abducting hostages in more than 20 towns in southern Israel, including children and the elderly;

Whereas the initial attack killed more than 1,300 Israelis and injured thousands more;

Whereas American citizens in Israel are among those killed and abducted by Hamas since October 7, 2023;

Whereas since October 7, 2023, Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians;

Whereas expansion of this war to other fronts by Hezbollah, Iran, or others would create an even more devastating regional catastrophe;

Whereas Iran has long provided hundreds of millions of dollars in material support to Hamas and other terrorist groups, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad;

Whereas since 1998, the United States Government has supported successive Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between the United States and Israel, and in the MOU negotiated in 2016, the United States pledged to provide Israel with $3,300,000,000 per year in foreign military financing and $500,000,000 per year in missile defense funding for 10 years, which Congress has appropriated annually since 2018;

Whereas section 513(c) of the Security Assistance Act of 2000 (Public Law 106–280), as amended by section 1273 of the United States-Israel Security Assistance Authorization Act of 2020 (subtitle H of title XII of Public Law 116–283), authorized not less than $3,300,000,000 in foreign military financing for Israel for fiscal years 2021 through 2028, in accordance with such MOU;

Whereas Congress has responded with emergency supplemental appropriations beyond the terms of such MOU, when needed, such as a $225,000,000 appropriation in 2014 to replenish immediate Iron Dome interceptors after Hamas fired thousands of rockets into Israel, and appropriations of an additional $1,000,000,000 for the Iron Dome after the May 2021 conflict during which Hamas launched more than 4,400 rockets into Israel; and

Whereas the United States will make every effort to prevent Iran, Hezbollah, and others from entering the conflict against Israel, including increasing credible regional deterrence through the deployment of naval and air assets to the Middle East:

Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved, That the Senate—

2 (1) stands with Israel as it defends itself, in-

3 cluding Israeli efforts to diminish the threat posed

4 by Hamas;

1 (2) reaffirms Israel’s right to self-defense, and

2 is committed to helping Israel safeguard its people

3 from future aggression;

4 (3) calls on all countries to unequivocally con-

5 demn Hamas’ war on Israel, including Hamas’ in-

6 tentional targeting of, and attacks against, civilians;

7 (4) demands that Hamas immediately cease its