Condemning Palestinian Terror Attacks Against Israel

Floor Speech

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Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, since the beginning of October, Palestinians armed with knives, meat cleavers, guns, and cars have carried out approximately 77 attacks, leaving 159 Israelis wounded and 12 dead. Two Americans have been killed in these gruesome attacks, including Richard Lakin, who was a Glastonbury, CT, elementary school principal and civil rights activist before he moved to Israel in 1984. Connecticut grieves for our dear friend and colleague to our educators there, who perished while seeking peace. That was his goal. That was his mission.

The Palestinian Authority must be held accountable for incitement, and it must work to stem this tide of visceral violence. Repeated, reprehensible attacks on innocent Israeli civilians follow President Abbas' dangerous disavowal of commitments made during the peace process. He has disavowed those commitments, and he has renounced them. These attacks must be stopped with leadership from the Palestinian Authority.

That is why I have introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Ayotte, and more than half the Senate has now joined with us to stand with Israel, to condemn these Palestinian terror attacks, and to reaffirm Israel's commitment to the continued maintenance of the status quo on the Temple Mount. I look forward to returning to the floor to have this resolution passed. It is time the Senate spoke out over this violence that has engulfed Israel and threatens everyday Israelis trying to live their normal lives in peace. It is time for America to speak out, as it is doing now, day in and day out.

I have visited Jerusalem, Israel's capital, and seen how remarkable a place it is, both in terms of being home to three monotheistic faiths and in the remarkable way that Israel has maintained respect and proper access for all religions and for their practices.

Israel stands alone as a nation committed to tolerance and respect for all faiths. This resolution serves as an expression of our support and our solidarity with Israel in bringing this violence to an end and as our resolve to help stabilize security for both Palestinians and Israelis.

I have said before--and I feel more passionately and deeply now than ever before--that Palestinian political goals will never be achieved through violence. As efforts to deescalate this situation move forward--and I support them--this resolution calls on all parties to return to the negotiating table immediately and without preconditions. Israel is already committed to peace negotiations without preconditions. I continue to support a two-state solution that is acceptable to all parties, involving direct negotiations with the active and sustained support of the United States and the international community.

My hope also is that the United States will continue to support Israel by reaffirming our unshakeable commitment to Israel's security. Today, President Obama met with Prime Minister Netanyahu. I hope that meeting will serve to bolster the bonds between our two great countries. I understand it went well. I certainly hope it did.

I joined Senator Bennet, along with 14 other Senators, in writing to the President and urging him to prioritize discussing with Mr. Netanyahu the historic renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding on U.S. Military Assistance to help Israel prepare for, respond to, and defend against threats that are more pressing and dangerous than ever, and to ensure its qualitative military edge.

I note that my wonderful friend and colleague from Illinois is waiting to speak, so I will end here and say that the current MOU provides $30 billion in assistance to Israel through fiscal year 2018.

As threats in the region continue to evolve, including Iran's potentially malign influence, the administration must engage at the highest level to continue to develop a shared understanding of threats confronting Israel by strengthening the MOU that serves as the foundation of our bilateral security efforts.

I will always fight to uphold Israel's security, and I am committed to opposing efforts to delegitimize Israel. We can stand together on a bipartisan basis, and this cause must always be bipartisan, must always be above politics. I will continue to work toward ensuring that the partnership in this body and the partnership between the United States and Israel is strengthened and enduring.

I yield the floor.

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