Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s floor speech.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), vice chairman of the Senate Republican Conference, delivered remarks on the Senate floor in strong support of Israel in its continued war against Hamas.

Earlier today, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a joint address to Congress where he laid out the reality that Israel is facing since the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on his nation. Vice President Kamala Harris and dozens of Congressional Democrats boycotted the speech.

Senator Capito’s floor remarks, as prepared for delivery, are included below:

“Mr/Madame President,

“Earlier today, Members of Congress had the distinct honor of hearing from Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, who is the leader of one of our most steadfast allies in an unprecedented time of strife for his country.

“Prime Minster Netanyahu’s message to Congress today was a snapshot into the reality that his nation is facing and what they have experienced since the morning of October 7th. He spoke to the urgency of bringing hostages home, the courage and bravery of Israeli forces and citizens, and his vision to bring peace, prosperity, and security to the Middle East.

“Israel is a country at war, and as the only democracy in the Middle East and a friend of freedom, Israel deserves the unwavering support of the United States.

“That is why it was incredibly disheartening to see many of my Democrat colleagues absent from the address, especially the vice president, whose absence unleashed a completely unnecessary discussion about who would join the Speaker to preside over the joint address.

“For a time, her seat was simply up for grabs, and I extend my thanks to my colleague, the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for taking the seat welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu.

“But unfortunately, the public debate over the vice president’s absence is not the message we should be sending to the world.

“It seems some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have forgotten that 291 days ago, on October 7th, 2023, Israel was the victim of an unprovoked terrorist attack.

“The attacking force, Hamas, killed 1,200 innocent Israelis, committed unspeakable acts of sexual violence, and took men, women, and children as hostages. They also took Holocaust survivors, and they even took an infant under one year of age, that Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned today. That poor baby has now spent more of his life in Hamas captivity than in freedom.

“To this day, nearly ten months later, hostages still remain in captivity, including American citizens, and I was incredibly moved to see some of the hostages and their families represented in the House Chamber today.

“Hamas has proven themselves to be a violent terrorist organization that continues to hide underneath schools and hospitals, intentionally putting civilians directly in harm’s way.

“They have publicly called for the attacks of October 7th to be repeated again, and again, and again. The bottom line is this: Hamas has made it clear it has no interest in seriously negotiating a ceasefire, and they would rather engage in barbaric and cowardly attacks of terror, joining forces with terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the Houthis, who continue their bombardment on Israel from every direction.

“Just last week, Hezbollah fired 65 rockets into Israel, The Houthis conducted a deadly drone attack on Israeli soil, as well as a ballistic missile that was thankfully intercepted by Israel’s air defenses. It is clear that Israel needs our support now more than ever.

“It’s important that we take this moment to reflect on the long withstanding ties that bind our country to Israel:

“The United States was the first country to recognize the state of Israel. They have long been our most stable ally and partner in the Middle East. They have stood beside us as our nation faced unprovoked acts of terror on our own soil. They have joined with us to develop ties with their neighbors through the Abraham Accords. And, they have been an essential ally in our efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.

“This is a level of historic partnership that cannot be forgotten. Yet, far too many in our country are willing to abandon our relationship with Israel, starting with the Biden-Harris administration.

“Israel is in a fight for their survival, against a terrorist organization that is not bound by laws. We know what it’s like to be attacked in our country, but we don’t know what it’s like to be geographically surrounded by our worst enemies.

“Standing with Israel should not be an issue that divides us, but rather, one that unites us in defense of our longtime ally and friend.

“It’s vital that the American public, and my Democratic colleagues who missed the prime minister’s speech today, acknowledge the differences between Israel and Hamas.

“Israel is a bastion of freedom and democracy in the Middle East, who is engaged in a war they did not start, by an organization whose only goal is to destroy Israel.

“In keeping up with their stated goal, Hamas has unleashed horrific, illegal, and unthinkable acts of violence on people simply because they are Jewish or Israeli. Hamas and their allies have made commanding use of the information space to sway public opinion here in the U.S., in an attempt to make it appear that Israel is the aggressor in this conflict.

“My Republican colleagues, including those joining me here in these speeches today, know that claim is far from the truth. As the Prime Minister mentioned today, misinformation has long been used to target Israel and the Jewish people, and we have seen it lead to chaos on our college campuses and acts of aggressive anti-Semitism I never thought we would see in our nation.

“We have protestors waving Hamas, Houthi, and Hezbollah flags on streets right here in the United States, including today, right outside the Capitol. And after these protestors were publicly applauded by the Supreme Leader of Iran, we now know that Iran was working behind the scenes to fan the flames of these protests.

“We need to be honest with ourselves about what each side of this conflict wants. The actions of Hamas are indefensible, and protestors conveniently forget that there was a ceasefire in place on the morning of October 7th.

“I would say to these protestors: if the Iranian Supreme Leader thinks you’re on the right side of history, that’s a pretty clear sign that you’re not.

“The reality is this, both Israelis and Americans want the fighting to end. For that to happen, both sides of the conflict need to agree to stop. That means Israel, but it also means Hamas, and right now we are missing that signal from Hamas. As the Prime Minister mentioned in his speech today, Hamas could end this right now. Hamas must surrender. Hamas must return the hostages.

“Now more than ever, our nation must reject terrorism and stand with our ally Israel. While the White House has left our relationship in limbo, Republicans will not let it falter.

“We will continue to push for true American leadership on the world stage that keeps our promises to our friends in their time of need. That strikes fear into our adversaries and those that wish to do our allies harm. And that returns the moral clarity that is deeply needed in moments like this.

“With that, I yield the floor.”

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