Advancing Important Measures on the Floor

Floor Speech

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Mr. ALFORD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today, as my colleague Nick Langworthy did before me, to express my support for the State of Israel in its war for survival, basically, against the terrorist Hamas group.

We need to make one thing perfectly clear in this body: We stand with Israel, no matter what.

As Mr. Langworthy just said, 16 Congressmen and -women just returned from Israel. Many of their spouses went, as well. This was a trip to gain insight, to gain context and perspective, to be educated about the plight of Israel and what they are facing in this war with these brutal savages, the Hamas terrorists.

What we saw, Mr. Speaker, was horrible. We went to a kibbutz in the southern part of Israel. It was one of our first stops. This was a village. Basically, a kibbutz is a community or a gathering of people. It was a beautiful village at one time.

We went there, and it was frozen in time. Tricycles were left out on the sidewalk area. Clothes were pulled halfway out of the dryer. Food was still on the table of some of these homes. Other homes were almost burned to the ground. Glass was shattered. Lives were shattered, as well.

We saw that moment frozen in time, 6:32 on the morning of October 7. The folks who had woken up that morning thought it was just going to be another normal day in the kibbutz, a day to share with family, to go to school, to work in their crops. They were just within a stone's throw of Gaza. Little did they know that that day was going to be a day that lived in infamy for Israel because, you see, the Hamas terrorists broke down the fence and the gates into that kibbutz, kidnapped more than 40 people from that kibbutz, killed more than 200, brutally murdering women who were pregnant, ripping the babies out of their wombs, burning others alive. We were able to see firsthand the devastation and destruction left by these brutal terrorists.

Israel is a nation of resolve, and we saw that, as well. We saw that in kibbutzim further north up on the border with Lebanon, where 654 people, an entire kibbutz, had to be evacuated because they were not safe because of the rockets from Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is being funded by Iran. This is a proxy war by people who don't want Israel to exist, who want to wipe it off the face of the Earth.

The sanction money that this President has released, some $16 billion that has gone to Iran, has been used to buy rockets and missiles for Hezbollah.

Saturday morning, we left a hotel in that kibbutz area to make our way further north and to the west, near the Lebanese border. Mr. Speaker, 52 minutes after we left this hotel, Hezbollah fired 30 rockets on that hotel that we stayed in. The Iron Dome stopped 29 of those, but one of them hit near the hotel. It didn't do any damage, but 16 Members of Congress and their families were there just an hour prior to that.

It is very clear that this is not just a war between Islamic terrorists and Israel. This is a war between civilizations. This is a war, a battle between good and evil, and that is why it is imperative that we stand with Israel.

Imagine, Mr. Speaker, your home. Maybe you have lived there for a couple of decades. Imagine if you lived there 80 years, and the neighbor to your right, the neighbor to your left, the neighbor across the street, and the neighbor behind you never wanted you there. All they could think about is driving you out of that house. If it meant killing you and your family to do that, so be it. That is what the State of Israel is facing.

We met with the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and with the President of Israel, President Herzog. Let me assure you today, despite the media reports, Mr. Speaker, despite what others in this body may be saying, the will of Israel is strong to finish off the four battalions that remain in Rafah of these terrorist killers and, just as importantly, to bring home safely the 133 hostages, some of whom are Americans.

Unfortunately, just today, Mr. Speaker, a report was released that the Hamas terrorists may have delivered some 40 of these hostages to other terrorist nations or terrorist entities, and they may not even be in Gaza. Israel needs to know if these people are alive. They deserve to know proof of life.

A lot of people are calling for a cease-fire. Israel, the IDF, has Hamas on the ropes. It is time to finish the job. It is time to eradicate Hamas. It is time to bring the hostages home. It is time for peace in the Middle East.

Mr. Speaker, I want to close with this, because this is nothing new to Israel, ever since they crossed the Jordan River. Some 2,600 years ago, a prominent Levite songwriter in King David's court penned these words. It still rings true today, Mr. Speaker. O God, do not remain quiet; Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still. For, behold, Thine enemies make an uproar; And those who hate Thee have exalted themselves. They make shrewd plans against Thy people, And conspire together against Thy treasured ones. They have said, ``Come, and let us wipe them out as a nation. That the name of Israel be remembered no more.'' For they have conspired together with one mind; Against Thee do they make a covenant . . . Who say, ``Let us possess for ourselves The pastures of God.'' God, fill their faces with dishonor, That they may seek Thy name, O Lord. Let them be ashamed and dismayed forever; And let them be humiliated and perish, That they may know that Thou alone, whose name is the Lord, Art the most high over all the Earth.

Today, it is Israel. Tomorrow, it could be America. The jihadists, the Islamic extremists, the terrorists call Israel the Little Satan. They call the United States of America the Great Satan.

We stand with Israel, and even if this administration is trying to pry open a crack in our relationship, this body should not let that stand and make it very clear that Israel is our friend, our ally, and we will stand behind them and beside them.

Mr. Speaker, I hope this is all over very soon because this could be over today if Hamas would release the hostages and simply surrender. When that does happen, we will rejoice with Israel, but, Mr. Speaker, until that does happen, we weep with Israel.

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