Durbin Reflects On Horrific Violence In The Middle East And Need For Long Term Peace Between Israelis And Palestinians
Press Release
"The wanton slaughter of more than 1,000 Israelis and an estimated 200 hostages still being held is hard to fathom. One fact tells the grim story: more Jews died on this day [October 7] than any time since the Holocaust. It was not just another bad day in the Middle East. It was a premeditated slaughter of historic proportion.
I have long supported U.S. assistance to help Israel defend itself from those bent on its destruction And I will strongly support the President's proposed supplemental request to help Israel, Ukraine, and other urgent humanitarian needs. The Hamas attack, which had nothing to do with solving problems between [Israel] and Palestine, was not [about] advancing a two-state solution or seeking long term peace. It was a reminder that there are still those in the region who refuse to accept Israel's right to exist and will take any actions to destroy it. But in acknowledging Israel's understandable rage and pain, I believe President Biden also gave wise counsel to learn from America's mistakes made after the similarly traumatic attacks on 9/11 Yes, Hamas, just like Al Qaeda, must be destroyed. But Israel should be wary of the kind of overreach in which we found ourselves in Iraq post 9/11.
You do not want an ill-thought occupation of Gaza to become your Fallujah. You do not want to dehumanize the innocents on the periphery who are not your enemy and will have to be your neighbors in the future. Hamas is a terrorist organization that has a long and cynical history of hiding its military assets among and around civilians. They dare their enemies to attack and realize that the collateral damage is going to be devastating. That makes any effort to root it out and rescue hostages extraordinarily difficult. But let us be clear that the Palestinian people are not Hamas. As a democracy, Israel must follow the rules of war and not target civilians or conduct disproportionate or indiscriminate attacks.
In Congress, I have been an advocate for a two-state solution--one that provides safe and secure nations for both the Israeli and Palestinian people. There have been attempts at peace and two states that offered some hope--Israeli peace with Egypt and Jordan, and the Oslo Accords. Some leaders, such as former Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and Egyptian President Sadat paid with their lives for pursuing peace. But for too long, spoilers on both sides have undermined a peaceful two-state solution. They've pursued narrow, selfish political goals, too often determined to stay in power above all else. Settlements have expanded, as have continued eruptions of violence. Regional powers have claimed to care about, but only paid lip service to the Palestinian people, and the Palestinian Authority has been mired in corruption and a lack of new leadership or vision too often at the expense of the Palestinian people.
I know it will be hard, but I hope out of the ashes and pain of this current crisis that there will be a renewed focus on a two-state solution. Out of the devastating Yom Kippur War came an historic peace treaty that still endures. So, with the right leaders on both sides, it can be done. And we here in the United States have a responsibility for a renewed push towards finding a solution that allows Israeli and Palestinian children to once and for all live together safely in peace and dignity."
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