WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) delivered a speech on the Senate floor reflecting on the tragic war in Gaza, the need for increased humanitarian aid, and the urgency of releasing the remaining hostages.
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Durbin said, “The Hamas attacks on Israel of October 7th, 2023, and taking of hostages, some 25 or 30 still left in captivity, left a stunned and grieving Israel with a difficult decision. From the start, I urged Israel to learn from our mistakes in the United States [that we] made in anger after the terrible attacks on September 11th. We shouldn’t make these life and death decisions we learned in a fury of emotion. But I fear that lesson was not followed, and the near total destruction of Gaza and humanitarian suffering will be seen as terrible mistakes.”
“Late last year, after more than a year of horror in this small strip of land, I thought we were finally seeing some progress toward the release of the remaining hostages, a long-term cease fire, and an easing of the humanitarian crisis. There also have been growing public demonstrations from Gazans bravely protesting for an end the rule of Hamas. These protesters face serious threats and risk of arrest by Hamas but they still do it, knowing Hamas has to go and does not have the people’s real interests at heart in Gaza. But instead of building on these modest but important openings, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu continues to put his own political survival ahead of anything,” Durbin continued.
On the floor, Durbin noted that Instead of a more surgical response to Hamas or offering a long-term vision for Gaza under a reformed Palestinian Authority, Netanyahu offers nothing. He blocked all aid to Gaza for nearly three months with experts warning of mass starvation and restarted fighting without any apparent strategy.
Durbin continued, “The only strategy is to keep his extremist coalition, Israel, intact. Netanyahu knows his coalition won’t stand for any kind of two-state solution, so he avoids this only viable path forward—instead threatening untold innocent lives by blocking and undermining aid delivery and restarting a dubious military offensive.”
The other day, former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert said, “the government of Israel is currently waging a war without purpose, without goals or clean planning and with no chances of success.” Pope Leo has also made pleas to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Durbin concluded, “I implore our Israeli allies to pursue a renewed cease fire that sees the release of all remaining hostages, allows sufficient aid to flow, and advances a serious post-war vision for two states.”
