Booker and Bipartisan Senate Delegation Return to US after Trip to Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Egypt

Press Release

"Hamas' unconscionable acts of violence, kidnapping, and terror targeting Israeli families, children, the elderly, and other civilians must be met with unwavering international condemnation. Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorist attacks and to ensure that something like October 7th never happens again. Palestinian civilians are not to blame for Hamas's terror and are also victims of Hamas' brutality. We must all prioritize the protection of innocent Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire and ensure that life-saving humanitarian assistance is able to enter Gaza and reach those in need.

Hamas's unprecedented attacks against Israel came at a time when new normalization conversations and new opportunities to lay the groundwork for a two-state solution were occurring. I don't think this timing was a coincidence. The world cannot give in to terrorists' efforts to disrupt progress toward peace. Affirming and protecting Israel's right to exist as a democratic Jewish state and ensuring the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and a state of their own are both necessary components of any real and lasting peace in the region. It is clear that normalization and peace talks are more necessary than ever."

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