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Floor Speech

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Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I want to make sure that the record is clear and unequivocal. The Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, met personally with Prime Minister Netanyahu. At that point, she said, with him and publicly, that our alliance with Israel is ``unwavering.'' That was her exact quote, despite what you might have heard to the contrary.

Then she went on to say she believed that Israel had the right to exist and the right to defend itself, but how it does it makes a difference. That is a significant statement because what she is suggesting is our alliance has to reflect our values as well as our commitment to Israel.

I don't believe that is a radical statement. I agree with that statement. And I believe that to suggest otherwise is to mischaracterize what the Vice President said. I think she speaks for America. I hope she does. She speaks for me when she says those words. I thought her meeting with Netanyahu was historic, important, timely, and repeated the basic principles that guide our two nations.

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