That aided and abetted terror. Madam president , today i come before the senate with a heart full of grief. I come shaken by anger and fear but with the result to act. I come with my spirit moved down to its core by the terrible things i saw these past few days. This morning i return after leaving a bipartisan delegation to israel along with senators rosen and kelly and romney and cassidy as the first jewish majority leader has the highest ranking jewish electedan officil ever in america. I want you to be there and felt an obligation to be there. It was a trip i will remember for the rest of my life. A visit to the only jewish state on earth facing one of the darkest hours on its 75 year history, probably the darkest hour. We traveled to delivery and unmistakable message, we need, the American People stand with the people of israel. We said to the people of israel, we have your back. We ache with you and in the coming weeks the unitedo States Senate will do Everything Possible to help israel eliminate the threat that hamas presents and help in every way that we can. I think my colleagues who joined me on this important trip. I think everyone who will be traveling this coming weekend. Right now our prisons means the world to israel. They were so gratified that american senators came to stand with them and their moments of grief and sorrow. Just being there made a tremendous difference and boosted the result. We the productive meetings with a range of leaders with National Union party minister, defense minister, the president Opposition Leader but the most memorable is with 12 families of the hostages. There they were sitting there wondering what was happening to their mother, their sister, their brother, their baby in the hands of these brutal terrorists. Nothing prepared us for the overwhelming grief we felt talking to the hostages and sharing their deep pain. There wasnt a dry eye in the room. Many of the people didnt know if the relatives were deader or alive. We selfish they showed us and their loved ones being led away by the Hamas Terrorists and an elderly woman being dragged away from her family. A 12yearold boy pushed along by these terrorists. Families in sheer agony wondering what was happening to their loved ones in the captivity of these brutal terrorists. Today we know the number of hostages exceeded 199. Its of the utmost importance that israel and the United States do everything it can to bring every single one of the hostages to save. We were having lunch at a hotel when the sirens went off manning rockets were seven to nine minutes away. We rushed into a shelter and waited until they told us the coast was clear. It happened again in the evening moments before a press conference that had to be delayed that we held on sunday. Its hard going to think that if they are going through this and much greater every single day. So again is the first jewish leader the highest in america, someone who has knowledge of the persecutions and ravages that have affected the jewish people who through decades and centuries, the millennia i felt an obligation to travel this weekendli to israel and delivera message of partnership. And i believe the trip went a significant way and pushing back against the dangerous false equivalency between what hamas is doing and the response against them. If left to their own devices, hamas would do to the jewish people and the rest of his royal what they did to them. Israel cant just shrug its shoulders and say let hamas, lets not try to end the threat from hamas. They have an obligation to do it. Its an attack with unspeakable evil. They were herded into the recreation room and machinegunned everyone of them down until they were dead, everyone. My greatgrandmother was the wife of a wellknown rabbi when the nazis came into ukraine it was part of poland. About 35 people according to what my grandmother told me, her daughter who would come to america told me there were about 35 people from ages 88 to three months. The nazis said youre coming with us. She said we are not moving and machinegunned every one of them down. History is repeating itself in an evil and an awful way. So the bottom line is simple. Hamas must be defeated, israel must ensure they are permanently stopped because if the world moves on and acts as if it were some unfortunate episode you can be sure that this would happen again and it is essential. I pointed out that their initial statement the change in statement the rest of the world must do the same as the senate gambles back in, supporting israel must be at the top and at the front and center of our attention to support the resolution championed by the chairman and the ranking member, member mcconnell and affirming we stand with israel and their right to defend themselves. N the resolution matters because theec senate needs one voice tht we stand with israel and against hamas. I will be working with the administration on putting together an emergency supplemental that will give israel the tools it needs to defend itself that means militaryin assistance, intelligence assistance, diplomatic assistance and humanitarian assistance to care for innocent civilians. We want to move this package quickly. The senate must k go first. I know that the house is in disarray but we cannot wait for them. If we pass a strong package with strong bipartisan support, it will import somehow or another to act despite what they are in. Its also very important, madam president that we not only provide the military and intelligence to support the needs but also that we provide humanitarian assistance to aid civilians impacted by the violence. Israel has a very difficult task to eliminate hamas, save the hostages minimize civilian casualties which is a difficult task and one that israel must and does strive to live up to. In america and in israel, countries must hold themselves to a higher standard of it is part of who we are as democracies. So this package must p move quickly and that the necessities thatp israel needs. We took to the leadership about what they need and it will be in this package. Intelligence aid to make sure we share intelligence in the best way possible, diplomatic aid to make sure the nations of the worldor stand with israel and humanitarian aid to make sure that civilians are given the help that they need. We must move this package quickly. We must also move to confirm an ambassador as quickly as possible. The president has already sent us a capable and strong nominee who will come before the Senate ForeignRelations Committee on wednesday. I urge the committee to approve him as soon as possible without any costly partisan delays so we can bring him to the floor and confirm him with all due haste. Weve built very closely in our trip with so many people in the embassy but its obvious they need an ambassador now more than ever. Mr. Lou has proven himself a strong public servant, ferocious ally of israel, so delaying him would be egregious at a time like this. We mustis move him quickly, andi hope we will. Finally, as the conflict involves in thehe coming days ad weeks, my office will work with the administration to ensure the Senate Remains updated about the situation at all times. Forth the information of the senate will hold in all senators classified briefing this wednesday october 18th at 3 30 p. M. , provided by the secretary of defense, secretary of state, the chairman of the joint chiefs and the director of national intelligence. It is essential that we hear what is going on from our top leaders. Madam president , the coming weeks will be an immense challenge not just for the people of israel, but for all of us in congress as well. Now more than ever, we must work with the spirit of bipartisanship to ensure that we can govern and protect americans here at home and abroad and stand with our friends in israel. At this moment is a test for all of us. A test for our ability to work together, our results to stand with our friends, you test to stand with our fundamental duties to the world. Let us not to squander this consequential moment. And to the people of israel, the land of milk and honey let me close with this. We will be by your side. We will not allow you to bear this burden alone. Your burden will be our burden, your grief is our grief, your because it is our cause. May the memories of the dead to be a blessing and a source of strength too all of us as we navigate the