One Barrier to Peace

Floor Speech

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Mr. LANDSMAN. Madam Speaker, I am one of only a few Jewish Members of the House, and I am leading this Special Order hour to help provide some clarity in this time of challenge and confusion. It has been said that there are four barriers to peace in the Middle East, but we are here tonight because there is only one barrier to peace, and that is the Government of Iran.

This war in the Middle East has impacted two historically traumatized people who share a history. They share land, and unfortunately, they share this reality that no one in the world wants either one of them.

Watching this trauma and this history unfold has had a deep impact on caring people all over the world. We want this war to end. We want the hostages returned, and we want a future peace for Israelis and Palestinians. We may be nearing a cease-fire, and I pray Hamas agrees to the proposal that is on the table now. That won't resolve the larger issue of Iran.

Before October 7, we were nearing peace in the region. In fact, over the past several decades there have been major efforts to bring peace between Israel and Arab nations. Historically, Arab nations were united against Israel, launching frequent attacks with the intent of destroying the Jewish state, but things slowly changed, one realignment at a time achieved through American leadership and American partnership.

However, there is one glaring exception toward this progress, the totalitarian regime in Iran, which remains intent on Israel's destruction and disrupting the path to peace. It creates chaos in the region.

President Carter worked with Egypt and Israel to bring those two states to a sustainable peace. President Clinton worked with Jordan and Israel to normalize relations between those two nations. Four years ago, the United States formed the Abraham Accords, where the UAE and Bahrain recognized Israel's sovereignty. Sudan and Morocco would later join.

Then just days before October 7, Saudi Arabia and Israel were near a deal. It would have brought the region closer to peace. At that point, Iran had seen enough. Hamas, an Iranian-backed army, had seen enough, too, and they attacked, massacred, raped, and took Israeli and American hostages.

People have looked at this war as a David and Goliath story, and in some ways it is. We all know the story; the Philistines were attacking the Israelites in the Valley of Elah. Every morning, Goliath, this giant, challenged the Israelites to fight. One day, David, a young shepherd boy, did what no one else would do: He defeated the giant with just a sling, against all odds.

It is a story about the imbalance of power and strength but also courage and ingenuity. Israel in the last 8 months has been painted as this Goliath in the war today, and if you looked at a map and you zoomed in, you may think that, too. There is Israel, and there is Gaza, very small. However, if you zoom out, you would see the reality of what is going on, and that the Goliath isn't Israel, but it is Iran.

Iran has funded over 20 terrorist organizations all surrounding Israel. They have funded groups that were responsible for killing three U.S. servicemembers earlier this year, funding the Houthi rebels in Yemen responsible for attacking U.S. ships in the Red Sea, and most recently they funded Swedish gangs to carry out terror attacks against Israelis in their embassy.

Today, just like the story, 8 million Jews are in the Valley of Elah surrounded by the Goliath, Iran, and its terrorist-backed armies. Iran is not alone in this effort. It is supported by global chaos agents like Russia. What is happening in the Middle East and what is happening in Ukraine are not isolated events. Putin attacked Ukraine because he believes it is a fictional state, just as Iran and Hamas and Hezbollah believe Israel is a fictional state.

This partnership between Iran and Russia has sowed conflict, chaos. Russian-made weapons have found their way to Hamas for years, and the same Iranian drones that were fired into Israel weeks ago have been used in Russia's offensive against Ukraine.

There are those who seek to put us on a path to a peaceful future and those who seek to disrupt it and sow chaos and destruction. Russia, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi, they are all part of this group.

Following October 7, Israel was suddenly up against Goliath and confronted with an impossible choice:

What was Israel to do after October 7 when their enemy, Hamas, went underground, taking Israeli and American hostages with them?

What was Israel to do when they hid in tunnels and shielded themselves by leaving innocent Palestinians above ground?

What was Israel to do when Hamas vowed to end Israel if they were to survive?

Hamas could cease their actions at any moment to save innocent lives, but they choose not to. If Israel stops now, they would not only abandon their people and Americans, but they would also relinquish the hard-earned stability in the Middle East, opening the door for further chaos.

The truth is, we aren't seeing the forest for the trees. We aren't zooming out to see the Goliath here--the Iranians, the Russians, the terrorists that they support against the global community. They have done this by abandoning innocent people, hiding behind civilians, and stealing aid from Palestinians. Unfortunately, their plan has succeeded.

Recently, Canadian protesters gathered and declared:

What happened on October 7 was the beginning of the great intifada.

It has spread in the minds of people of the free world.

When you scream with a loud voice, Long Live October 7, you will understand that these people decided to end their miseries and this nightmare called Israel.

In response to calls like these, the Iranian Ayatollah has said it is working. That is right. He sees all of these protests against Israel, and the Ayatollah has said, it is working.

Just last week, in reaction to U.S. protests, the Ayatollah praised American protesters in a letter that also contained anti-Semitic tropes and accused Israel of being a terrorist state.

Iran and Russia's goal of terror isn't limited to the Middle East. It is spreading globally. If we want this war to end, which I desperately do, if we want the hostages returned, which I desperately do, and a new future for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, which I desperately do, then we have to firmly stand against the ongoing Iranian aggression.

The path forward requires bold, ethical leadership from Israel to urgently end the deepening humanitarian crisis, defeat the terror groups once and for all, and rally global diplomatic support. It is also a requirement that the leaders of the international community and these Arab nations be all in for peace and be willing to stand up to Iran once and for all.

Crucially, the work ahead requires all of us to work together to reject the tactics of terror and chaos and choosing to build a brighter future.

Iranian aggression has pitted two groups with a deep history of trauma into further trauma and pain. Yet, in this shared trauma lies the potential for profound peace. This conflict can be the foundation upon which we build lasting and sustainable stability, where both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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