Fake Messaging

Floor Speech

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Mrs. KIGGANS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. I urge Congress to support our ally now more than ever, and stress the need to defeat Hamas and all Iranian proxies.

Israel is a strong and resilient country. Born in the aftermath of the horrors of the Holocaust and the Second World War, Israel's short history is full of successes. Israel has become one of the world's leading nations for innovation and technology. Its contributions to fields like cybersecurity, healthcare, and agriculture benefit Americans every day. Most importantly, Israel is and always will be our closest ally in the Middle East.

I recently returned from a trip to Israel last week with several of my House colleagues, where we saw with our own eyes the devastation of the October 7 terror attacks. We visited the Nir Oz Kibbutz miles outside of Gaza and also visited the site of the Nova music festival, where hundreds of young people were murdered or kidnapped.

We heard from the parents of an Israeli-American hostage who has been held captive by Hamas for 188 days. We saw burned homes with posters of hostages on the outside. We saw children's toys scattered throughout yards. We could almost feel and smell life there, the life that had been, that was no longer.

Everything I saw and everything I learned verified the brutality of Hamas' unprovoked attacks and reinforced the need to support our longtime ally. The message we all walked away with was the same: Hamas must be eliminated.

During our trip, we met with President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who shared with us the importance of continuing a strategic partnership between our two nations.

The U.S.-Israel relationship is truly the embodiment of peace through strength. By standing together, we demonstrate to our adversaries that we will not be intimidated and that we will defend our shared values and interests.

As malicious regimes like Iran continue their quest for nuclear capabilities and ramp up their backing of radical terror organizations, it is essential that America remain committed to ensuring a strong and secure Israel. This starts with defending Israel's right to self- defense. Israel did not start this war, but they have a right to defend themselves from brutal terrorists.

Hamas' horrific October 7 attacks, as well as the more than 170 attacks against our own Armed Forces by Iranian proxies that have occurred since, are concrete evidence that our enemies are emboldened. Because of weak foreign policy choices made by this administration, starting with the chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal, I worry that our friends don't trust us as much, and our enemies certainly aren't fearing us as much. We must make smarter choices on the world stage to fight the evil that unfortunately exists in the global arena.

As a Navy veteran who deployed twice in the Persian Gulf, I know how volatile this region is and understand that a key element of our own national security is the strength and security of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.

Now more than ever, the United States must stand with Israel to ensure the safety of not only one of our closest allies, but also that of America and all freedom-loving people across the globe.

I remain steadfast in my support for Israel and will do everything in my power to provide the Israeli people with the military and security assistance they need as they fight to defend their nation. In a world that gets more dangerous by the day, we cannot fail to project strength abroad. Standing with our allies and providing unwavering support is the right place to start.

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