The Light Will Win

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. SCHNEIDER. Mr. Speaker, last week, the bipartisan House Abraham Accords Caucus was privileged to host Rabbi Yehoram Ulman and Ahmed al- Ahmed, of Sydney, Australia, and survivors of the terrorist attack at Bondi Beach last month.

When a father-and-son pair of ISIS-inspired gunmen began massacring Jews during a Hanukkah celebration on the beach--murdering 15 people, including Rabbi Ulman's son-in-law--Ahmed, a Muslim who was at the event by serendipity, rushed for cover. As one of the terrorists approached his position, Ahmed heroically rose to the moment, charged, and single-handedly disarmed the attacker, saving countless lives.

On behalf of the entire Abraham Accords Caucus, I thank Rabbi Ulman and Mr. al-Ahmed for traveling here and passionately sharing their stories. I also thank my many colleagues for joining us to honor these two great men.

The Abraham Accords Caucus was formed after the accords were signed five years ago on a simple belief: Jews and Arabs belong to the same land, and elevating the people will elevate the land and bring peace to everyone in the region.

Yesterday, Rabbi Ulman and Ahmed al-Ahmed showed that this spirit extends far beyond the Middle East. Their shared humanity and embrace of each other reflects our hope for the future, a future in which people see the dignity and grace in one another and have the strength to stand up and confront hatred and evil.

As I told Ahmed, he is a hero to us all. He teaches us that love of the stranger can lift us all and defeat hatred. Or, as Rabbi Ulman and Mr. al-Ahmed have titled their visit around the world, ``The Light Will Win.''

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source