Hopefully, ourprogramtodayhasgivenyou a chancetohearfromproIsraeladvocatesonbothsidesofthepoliticalspectrum, startingwithourbyPotter's andpanelfeaturingCongressmanEliotAngleandMichaelMcCaultoourconversationwithProgressiveLaborleader J.
D.
Coxtocloseouttheprogram.
We'llhearfrom a passionateadvocateandanoutspokenleaderontheUSIsraelrelationship.
SincehewasfirstelectedtotheSenatein 2012 r Finalguestshasbeen a strongvoiceadvocatingforkeyproIsraellegislation, andheregularlyauthorsandcosponsorsbillsthatstrengthensthealliancebetweenAmericaandIsrael.
Ladiesandgentlemen, pleasejoinmeinwelcomingourfinalguest, a trueallyofourmovementand a championoftheUSIsraelrelationshipfromthegreatstateofTexas.
Well, asyouknow, humanshieldsare a persistentpatternthatterroristsuse.
It's a persistenttoolthatHamasandHezbollahuses, andtheyuseitbecausetheyknowtheycancountononthemediatoblamethedeathsofthosehumanshieldsonIsraelandforthatmatter, toblamethosedeathsonAmerica.
Andsoseveralyearsago, I I I ledbipartisanlegislation a resolutioncondemningtheuseofhumanshieldsthatpassedbothhousesunanimously.
Andthen, justinDecemberagain, I introducedbipartisanlegislationimposingsanctionsonanyorganizationsorgovernmentsthatusehumanshields.
Andlook, wesawthispowerfully.
Nottoomanymonthsago, I wasinJerusalemfortheopeningofourembassy, andwesaw.
Andwhatanincredibleday, what a daythatwaslongincoming.
What a powerfulemotionaltimetobewithIsraelisandAmericansinparticular.
I visitedwithwithwithseveralseveralpeoplewhowereHolocaustsurvivorswho, withtearsintheireyesastheembassywasbeingopentodedicated, said, I neverthought I'd livetoseethisday.
Sure, onthatdaywealsosawHamasterroristsinGazaattackingIsrael, andwesawTheNewYorkTimesandotheroutletscoveringitin a waythatthatterroristswhowereflyingkiteswithswastikaswhoweretakingpetrolbombsintoIsraeltotrytomurderinnocentIsraelisandthemediawouldcoverthatthatbehaviorwithoutacknowledgingthesewereterrorattacksandsoimposingsanctions, callingouthumanshieldsitnumberoneprotectsIsrael.
Everythinginanything, Iranandthethreatof a nuclearIran, I believe, isthegravestnationalsecuritythreatfacingtheUnitedStatesandthegravestthreatfacingIsrael.
Weneedtobeusingmaximumpressure, andand I thinkmaximumpressuremeansmaximumpressureRightnow.
Oneofthethings I thinkweneedtodoisendtheoilwaivers, endthemnow, nomoreoilwaivers, andlastyear I introducedlegislationtoCutterranofffromtheSwisssystemsoffinancialtransactionssothatmaximumpressureendstheAyatollahsreignofterror.
Senator, I lovetostickaroundbecausewecouldhavethatconversationfor a dayand 1/2?
Look, everyoneofusherewasheartbrokenatwhatjusthappenedintheHouseofRepresentatives, wherethehousecouldn't cometogetheron a simpleresolutioncondemningantiSemitism.
Instead, theywereateachother's throats.
Well, myhopeisintheSenateweakendobetter.
SoSo I'veintroduced a resolutioncondemningantiSemitism, condemningBTSanddoingsoclearlyandunequivocallythehistorybehindantiSemitismGoingbackmillenniaisunique.
Thepresident's announcementwastherightthingtodo, andithasbeen a policythat I havebeenpushingthat I havebeenurgingthepresident, theNationalSecurityCouncil, theadministrationformanymonths.
InDecember, I introduced a resolutionrecognizingtheGolanHeightsaspartofIsrael.
Andthenjust a coupleofmonthsago, I introducedlegislationmandatingthattheGoldenGolanHeightsberecognizedaspartofIsrael.
Thisseems, Senator, I just a steptojustcontinuetorecognizethebestdefensiblebordersforIsrael.
Longtermaffair.
Look, Look.
TheGolanHeightswasseizedintheSixdaywar, a defensivewar.
What a greatdayitwouldbetoseebipartisanunanimousagreementintheSenatecondemningantiSemitismandrecognizingtheGolanHeightsispartofthis.
And I wanttostaytherekindofthelasttwowords, Senator, withrespecttogoon, becausethisallhastodoagainwithIranandHezbollahandyoumentionedearlyinyourspotontheForeignRelationsCommittee, howdoesoneoftheotherthings I thinkthesefolkswillbelobbyingontomorrow's theforeignaidthat's becomesocriticaltoIsrael's defensetotalkabouthowwecontinuetolobbyyouandyoursenatorsonbothsidesoftheislandontheHousesidefor 3.8 billion.
Andandthosethosedefensivemissilesandactuallyyoucanseeanirondomebatteryinthebackgroundthere, everybody, bytheway, I havetosayso.
That's thefirsttrip I tooktheIsraelafterbeingelectedwasjustweeksafter I waselected, wasaneightpacktripsandwewentandvisitedrawfileindustrieswherethat's constructedandmyfirstnameisRafaeland I waslike, Wow, thatisreallyimpressive.
Thankyou.
I justthought I wasgoodmarketing, but I thinkit's maybe a littlebitmoreof a coincidence.
Nonetheless, I decidedthat I convincedkidsthat I'm oneoftheTeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesforthiscrowdwillsayitwillsayit's ironedonthelastquestionwhen I askedSenator, eyesonjustIsrael's diplomaticplaceintheworldwe'retalking.
Theembassywas a criticalmoment, butbut I thinkweintheproIsraelcommunityneedtodo a betterjobwinningpeople's heartsandminds, actuallyexplainingthatthismoralequivalenceisisfalse.
It's somethingthat I trytodooverandoverandoveragain.
You'llremembersomeyearsbackwhenHamaskidnappedandultimatelymurder 33 Israeliteenagers, oneofwhomwas a dualAmericancitizen.
I gave a longspeechontheSenatefloorwithpicturesofeachofthethreetellingtheirstoriestellingtheirlives, andindeedjoinedwithBobMenendez.
WepassedlegislationoutoftheSenatefortheStateDepartmenttogive a $5 millionrewardforinformationleadingtothecaptureofthoseterrorists.
Tellingthosestoriesisimportant.
I alsowroteanopedthatwascalled a taleoftwohospitals, anditcomparedtohospitals.
NumberonedoesifhospitalinnorthernIsraelthat I'vevisitedontheborderofofIsraelthatatthetime I wastherehadgivenover $8 millioninfreemedicalcare.
I contrastedthattothehospitalinGaza, inwhosebasementHamashadsetuptheircommandheadquarters, andHamaswasliterallyusingPalestinianmothersandnewbornbabiesashumanshieldsbecausefromtheirperspective, itwas a winwin.
Eithertheidea F wouldrefrainfromhittingtheircommandheadquartersbecauseofthehospitalthatwas a winorfromtheirperspective, evenbetter.
Um, I thinkthereisenormouspowerandtruthandletmemake a a finalpoint.
Look, a Pakishad a wonderfultraditionofreallyworkinghardtoensurebipartisansupportforIsrael.
Thatisimportant.
I commendyoufordoingso.
OneoftheworstlegaciesoftheIraniannucleardealisthatthatbipartisansupportwasfrayedandfrayedsubstantiallyinCongress, and I thinkthatconsequenceforallofuswhoarepassionateabouttheUSIsraelrelationship, itisreally a dangerousdevelopment.
It's partofwhy I hopeweseeintheSenate I thinkitwouldbeincrediblybeneficialtoseebipartisanunanimityonantiSemitismintheGolanHeightsbecauseitwouldbepowerfultoseebothpartiescomingtogetherandsayingTheremaybeissuesonwhichwedisagree, butontheseissueswespeakunitedwithonevoice.
Senator, I thinkit's anunderstatementtosayhowmuchweappreciateyoursupport.