Recognizing Israel's Aid Delegation

Floor Speech

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Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the bravery and selfless service of the individuals who responded to the horrific tragedy in Surfside, FL, on June 24, 2021, when the Champlain Towers South condo building suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night.

Our Jewish Community, particularly Orthodox Jews, have been especially affected by this tragedy, and immediately following the collapse, Israel mobilized resources and personnel to help in the response. We are incredibly grateful to Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett for deploying the joint Israel Defense Forces--IDF--and Ministry of Foreign Affairs delegation to Surfside following the collapse. I want to thank commander of IDF's National Rescue Unit in the Home Front Command, Colonel Golan Vach, for leading the search and rescue delegation and Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister, Nachman Shai, who helped to make sure the needs of the Surfside community were addressed. I am eternally grateful for their hard work and quick response to this terrible tragedy.

I also want to thank Israel's Consul General, Maor Elbaz-Starinsky, and his team, who were on site working tirelessly to address the needs of the community and who worked alongside first responders and rescue crews to respond to the collapse.

Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command operates search and rescue missions in Israel and around the world, aiding in rescue and recovery efforts for disasters. Using building information modeling tools and technologies and careful measurements taken on site, the Home Front Command was able to generate 3D digital models of the building before and after its collapse. This, combined with information gathered from surviving family members and friends, produced highly accurate information to help the search, rescue, and recovery efforts. Their efforts gave search teams from across the United States and around the world the most accurate and up-to-date information on where they should target their search efforts.

Israel responds immediately to emergencies around the world, and our gratitude is immense. Israel is a partner in every sense of the word. Their presence was greatly appreciated by the people of Surfside, the State of Florida, and the entire Nation. The Israeli rescue team demonstrated once again the kindness and strength that Israel provides. They swiftly heeded the call of duty to help local, State, Federal, and international counterparts with rescue and recovery efforts. In the face of tremendous tragedy, they ran into danger. They are heroes. They worked tirelessly and relentlessly to make sure that the needs of the community were met. We can never thank them enough for their bravery and determination.

The Israeli delegation succeeded in alleviating suffering and demonstrated what the Jewish state can mean to people thousands of miles away during the worst moment of their lives. The tragedy in Surfside shows the strength of the connection between American Jews and the Jewish state and that Israel is a great ally and friend to the United States. Ann and I continue to pray for the Surfside community, our Jewish community, the families and loved ones of the lost, and all of those who worked tirelessly to serve the Surfside community.

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