WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate’s Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees—issued the following statement on the ongoing violence in Israel:
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“The unmistakable terrorism we’ve seen since Saturday’s coordinated attacks—which left more Jews dead than any single day since the Holocaust—is pure evil, and the United States stands in unwavering solidarity with Israel and its absolute right to defend itself and its people from Hamas’s unconscionable kidnappings, beheadings of babies, massacres of entire communities and rape. Those perpetrating this carnage must be stopped and other parties should not view this crisis as an opportunity to escalate further. There is never any excuse for terrorism.
“As this tragedy unfolds, I’m relieved the United States is providing Israel with the resources it needs to respond and I join large bipartisan majorities in Congress supporting continued aid to meet our Middle East ally’s needs in the weeks and months ahead. We also owe our other partners facing authoritarian or terrorist threats our continued support.
“My thoughts are with all those who’ve lost loved ones or are suffering—Americans and innocent Palestinians included—in this violence as well as with those who are going through the unimaginable anguish of worrying about the fate of a loved one who may have been taken hostage. I, along with our entire government, am doing everything I can to ensure the Illinoisans held hostage or who are otherwise unaccounted for—and all Americans who want to—can return home safely. Our nation needs a confirmed Ambassador to help in these efforts and, as a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, I look forward to voting to advance Jack Lew’s nomination next week and working to fill other vacancies in the region as soon as possible.
“Lastly, with at least 9 senior officers who should be helping our military’s response to this crisis currently unable to do so as a result of Senator Tuberville’s one-man political blockade, it has never been clearer that he is singlehandedly threatening our military’s readiness and global stability. As has been true for months, he must lift his hold immediately so that our military can wield the full range of our nation’s capabilities as it works to support our Israeli allies.”
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