- February 29, 2024
In Senate Floor Speech, Murray Calls for Israel to Change Course in Gaza and End Collective Punishment of Civilians; Reiterates Support for Mutually Negotiated Ceasefire and Condemns Far-Right Netanyahu Administration
Murray has repeatedly pressed for surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza, called for mutually negotiated ceasefire
Senator Murray: “I come to the floor as someone who feels very strongly that Israel absolutely must change course—the collective punishment in Gaza has got to stop… I don’t know how you call it targeted when there are babies and children being pulled from the rubble.”
***WATCH: Senator Murray’s Floor Speech***
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor calling for Israel to change course in the prosecution of its war effort and stop the collective punishment of civilians as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsens by the day. Murray also discussed the efforts she has taken over the last few months pushing for a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza and holding the line as a lead negotiator of the Senate supplemental package to ensure the legislation included desperately-needed humanitarian aid, engaging with the administration for months to ensure international law is being followed, and supporting continued diplomacy toward a mutually-negotiated ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages. Murray has sharply condemned the far-right Netanyahu government’s execution of the war in Gaza and reiterated the U.S.’s longstanding policy in support of a two-state solution. Watch her full floor speech HERE.
“The barbarity of October 7th should not be brushed aside, and cannot ever be excused… As I have said repeatedly—Israel has a clear right to defend itself and its people, against the very real and continued threat that Hamas poses to Israeli civilians,” Senator Murray said on the Senate floor today. “As I have also said many times—that must be done in accordance with the laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law… As Israel seeks to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas, it must make every effort to protect innocent civilians in Gaza—who make up the vast, overwhelming majority of people in the Gaza strip.”
“But as we have watched this conflict escalate, it has become increasingly clear that is not what is happening,” Murray continued. “I come to the floor today as a friend of Israel—I understand the very real threats Israel—home to nearly half of the world’s Jews—faces outside its borders and in keeping its population safe. And I come to the floor as someone who feels very strongly that Israel absolutely must change course—the collective punishment in Gaza has got to stop and Israel must do more to protect civilian life, we need a mutually agreed upon ceasefire and end to the fighting as soon as possible, the return of all hostages by Hamas, and a massive surge in humanitarian aid.”
“Israel needs to understand that the casualties they’ve inflicted on the people of Gaza—the devastation they have caused—cannot continue. It is not in line with American interests, nor does it make Israel safer. The prosecution of this war so far by Netanyahu’s far-right government has been nothing short of an unquestionable strategic failure,” Murray said, noting that families of hostages in Israel have been consistently protesting Netanyahu, sharply criticizing his Gaza offensive and calling for a mutually-negotiated ceasefire to see their loved ones safely returned.
Senator Murray called attention to the fact that there are 1.7 million people facing imminent starvation in Gaza, most of the water in Gaza is unfit for consumption, and more than half of the hospitals are no longer operating. Over two million people in Gaza have been displaced from their homes. Murray also described firsthand accounts she had heard from doctors working on the ground in Gaza performing emergency C-sections, on rubble, or in tents—without anesthesia, and women bleeding out because they couldn’t get medical care.
“We all understand that war is not a simple thing, but I’ll just say I don’t know how you call a military operation targeted when there are 29,000 deaths. I don’t know how you call it targeted when there are babies and children being pulled from the rubble. Who does this serve? It cannot continue this way,” Murray said.
“The situation in Gaza—and in the West Bank where there has been a disturbing rise in brazen violence from right-wing Israeli settlers against Palestinian families—does not lead to peace and security for Israelis or Palestinians. It just doesn’t. And the rhetoric and stated policies of the Netanyahu regime—like abandoning a two-state solution—have been nothing short of deeply dangerous and wildly counterproductive.”
Murray noted her strong support for President Biden’s Executive Order allowing sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank who threaten or perpetrate violence against Palestinians, and continued: “I want to make crystal clear now: indefinite Israeli control over Gaza is unacceptable, as is any contraction of territory for the Palestinians. And I have made including humanitarian aid for Gaza in our national security package a red line for me as the Senate put together our bill—even as Republicans tried over and over to chisel away at it.”
Murray also emphasized that the taxpayer-funded military aid the U.S. provided to Israel for self-defense is subject to the Leahy Law, which prevents U.S. assistance from going to foreign military units suspected of committing gross human rights violations. “I have insisted throughout many conversations that this law is implemented as intended, that civilians are protected, and that international law is followed,” Murray said.
Murray ended her speech by talking about the troubling rise in antisemitism and anti-Arab hate—including many troubling acts of hatred in Washington state—since October 7th. “While this war may be happening across the world—it has been painful for our Arab and Jewish communities here at home. They are seeing, not just horrific news—including sometimes about relatives and friends—but also a horrific rise in anti-Arab and antisemitic violence. Synagogues in my state have faced bomb threats. A six-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois was stabbed to death. And across the nation there have been other disturbing reports of violence and threats against people perceived to be Arab, Muslim, or Jewish. It is heartbreaking. And it is incumbent upon all of us to stand against this hatred.”
“Our North Star has to be valuing the humanity in others, and listening to the humanity in ourselves,” Murray concluded.
Since the Israel-Hamas war began, Senator Murray has made numerous calls for humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians, and has urged President Biden to lead the international community in addressing the immediate humanitarian needs in the West Bank and Gaza. Senator Murray called for a humanitarian pause in the war in November.
Earlier this month, Senator Murray voiced her strong support for President Biden’s Executive Order allowing and deploying new sanctions on Israeli settlers involved in violent attacks against Palestinians, applauded the Biden Administration’s new National Security Memorandum aimed at ensuring all U.S. security assistance is used in line with international humanitarian law, and joined her colleagues in urging the administration to encourage Israeli officials to take specific steps to significantly increase urgently needed humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza. Murray also joined her colleagues in a letter to President Biden expressing support of the ongoing U.S. diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages in tandem with the restoration of a mutual ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray led Senate passage of a comprehensive national security supplemental package earlier this month that includes aid to our allies in Israel and Ukraine and humanitarian aid for Palestinian civilians—Murray fought hard to ensure that humanitarian aid remained in a supplemental package despite Republicans’ attempts to leave it out.
Senator Murray’s full remarks, as delivered, are below:
“Thank you, M. President. It has been several months now since Hamas carried out a truly heinous terrorist attack against Israel.
“The barbarity of October 7th should not be brushed aside, and cannot ever be excused. We are talking about terrorists gunning down innocent civilians, including in their homes, committing horrible acts of torture and sexual violence, and taking hostages—among them women, and elderly people, and infants.
“As I have said repeatedly—Israel has a clear right to defend itself and its people, against the very real and continued threat that Hamas poses to Israeli civilians.
“As I have also said many times—that has to be done in accordance with the laws of armed conflict and international humanitarian law.
“M. President, I appreciate that this is a tough, emotional topic—war always is. But at times like this, we cannot let passion kill compassion, we cannot let the horrors of the present end the hope for a brighter future.
“As Israel seeks to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas, it must make every effort to protect innocent civilians in Gaza—who make up the vast, overwhelming majority of people in the Gaza strip.
“But as we have watched this conflict escalate, it has become increasingly clear that is not what is happening.
“Just consider—hundreds of Palestinians were injured or killed today after Israeli troops fired on civilians crowded near aid trucks desperate for something to eat. While we are still learning more about the details—you have to believe that this kind of bloodshed should be completely avoidable.
“I come to the floor today as a friend of Israel—I understand the very real threats Israel—home to about half of the world’s Jews—faces outside its borders and in keeping its population safe.
“And I come to the floor as someone who feels very strongly that Israel absolutely must change course—the collective punishment in Gaza has got to stop and Israel must do more to protect civilian life.
“We need a mutually agreed upon ceasefire and end the fighting as soon as possible, we need the return of all hostages by Hamas, and we need a a massive surge in humanitarian aid.
“Israel needs to understand that the casualties they’ve inflicted on the people of Gaza—the devastation they have caused—cannot continue. It is not in line with American interests, nor does it make Israel safer.
“The prosecution of this war so far by Netanyahu’s far-right government has been nothing short of an unquestionable strategic failure. Many of the families of hostages have been protesting Netanyahu themselves, demanding a mutually negotiated ceasefire to see their loved ones safely returned.
“Let’s consider what is actually happening in Gaza, the human reality on the ground.
“There are over 2 million people in Gaza who have been displaced from their homes, and 1.7 million people facing imminent starvation. Most of the water in Gaza is unfit for consumption and two-thirds of the hospitals are no longer operating—there are only 11 left.
“Think about that—think about what that means for the countless people who are starving, who are sick, and who are scared—the survivors.
“Or better yet, listen to the firsthand accounts. I did.
“There are more than 150,000 pregnant and lactating women in harm’s way. Doctors who had worked on the ground in Gaza spoke to me about performing emergency C-sections, on rubble, or in tents—without anesthesia—and women bleeding out because they couldn’t get medical care.
“Since the start of the war, 66,000 thousand Palestinians have been injured, and 29,000 have been killed—more than half of them women and children.
“We all understand that war is not a simple thing, but I’ll just say I don’t know how you call a military operation targeted when there are 29,000 deaths. I don’t know how you call it targeted when there are babies and children being pulled from the rubble.
“Who does this serve? It cannot continue this way.
“The situation in Gaza—and in the West Bank where there has been a disturbing rise in brazen violence from right-wing Israeli settlers against Palestinian families—does not lead to peace and security for Israelis or Palestinians. It just doesn’t.
“And the rhetoric and stated policies of the Netanyahu regime—like abandoning a two-state solution—have been nothing short of deeply dangerous and wildly counterproductive.
“I have voiced my strong support for the President’s Executive Order to allow sanctions on Israeli settlers in the West Bank who threaten or perpetrate violence against Palestinians.
“I also want to make crystal clear now: indefinite Israeli control over Gaza is unacceptable, as is any contraction of territory for the Palestinians.
“M. President, as someone who voted against the war in Iraq, I am acutely aware of the mistakes our country made.
“You cannot defeat terrorism through sheer military force alone—that much is clear. And it is my hope that Israel can heed that lesson. Winning a war against terrorism isn’t a matter of how many people you kill. That approach isn’t just bloody and brutal—it can be self-defeating.
“Terrorists don’t care how many people you kill—they certainly don’t care how many civilians you kill. Because terrorism is not a human enemy of flesh and blood—it is an idea, it is a hatred, a violence, and it thrives on suffering.
“So while Israel must work to eliminate the threat posed by Hamas—that fight must be targeted if it is to be successful.
“You have to fight the hopelessness extremism feeds on. You have to fight the sprawl of violence that entrenches conflict. And you have to stay clear-eyed and strategic in pursuit of justice—and in pursuit of lasting peace.
“I may be just one of 100 Senators here—but I have been using my voice to help move things in that direction.
“On humanitarian aid, I have pressed the Biden Administration repeatedly, in many conversations, to take steps that would dramatically increase aid to Gaza.
“And I made including humanitarian aid for Gaza in our national security package a red line for me as the Senate put together our bill—even as Republicans tried over and over and over again to chisel it away.
“I also want to be clear about the fact that the taxpayer-funded military aid we provided to Israel for self-defense—is subject to the Leahy Law. I have insisted throughout many conversations that this law is implemented as intended, that civilians are protected, and that international law is followed.
“And finally, on moving towards a lasting peace.
“As President Biden recently noted—talks are ongoing and productive toward a mutually agreed upon ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages.
“Recent developments like the deaths we saw today in Gaza City will likely make that more difficult. But diplomatic efforts must continue—even after this conflict—to ensure a lasting peace.
“That’s why I have backed efforts to reiterate America’s longstanding policy of support for a two-state solution—and will rebuff any statements by Netanyahu or his government that reject Palestinian sovereignty.
“And, it’s why it’s important to me that we don’t just talk about fighting the enemy, and winning the war. But that we also talk about facing the hatred—the Islamophobia and Antisemitism that have been on the rise in the wake of this conflict, and doing the work of peace—creating a future that ensures dignity and security for both Palestinians and Israelis alike.
“I want to close by saying a bit about what’s been happening here—in America, and in my home state of Washington.
“Because while this war may be happening across the world—it has been painful for our Arab and Jewish communities at home. They are seeing, not just horrific news—including sometimes about relatives and friends—but also a horrific rise in anti-Arab and antisemitic violence.
“Synagogues in my state have faced bomb threats. A six-year-old Palestinian boy in Illinois was stabbed to death. And across the nation there have been other disturbing reports of violence and threats against people perceived to be Arab, Muslim, or Jewish.
“It is heartbreaking. And it is incumbent upon all of us to stand against that hatred.
“Our North Star has to be valuing the humanity in others, and listening to the humanity in ourselves.
“That is my message today M. President, and it is a message I am going to keep working to see put into action.
“Thank you.”
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