mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority mer: mr. president, i rise to speak today about what i believe can and should be the path forward to secure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for israelis and palestinians. i speak for myself, but i also speak for so many mainstream jewish americans, a silent majority whose nuanced views on the matter have never been represented in this country's discussions with the war in gaza. my last name is schumer, which derives from the hebrew world shalmer, or guardian. of course, my first responsibility is to america and to new york, but as the first jewish majority leader of the united states senate and the

highest-ranking jewish elected official in america ever, i also feel very keenly my responsibility as a guardian of the people of israel. throughout jewish history, there have been many guardians and plenty who are far greater than the claim to be. but nonetheless, this is the position in which i find myself now, at a time of great difficulty for the israel, for the jewish people, and for non-jewish friends of israel e israel. so i feel an immense obligation to speak and to act. i speak as a member of a community of jewish americans that i know very well. they're my family, my friends, many of them are my constituents, many of them are democrats, and many are deeply concerned about the purr seoul of -- pursuit of justice, both in new york and around the

globe. the call to, quote, repair the world, has driven jews around the world to do what is right. we love israelag in our bones. what israel has meant to my generation, within living memory of the holocaust, is impossible to measure. the flowering of the jewish people in the desert, from the ashes of the holocaust and the fulfillment of the dream of the jewish homeland after nearly 2,000 years of praying and waiting represents one of the most heartfelt causes of my life. and unlike some junker americans, i -- younger men's, i remember how hard it was to achieve that dream. i remember clutching my transistor radio to my ear in james madison high school in 1967 during the six-day war, wondering if israel would be pushed into the sea. if the events of the last few months have made anything clear, it is that israel is surrounded

by vicious enemies and there are many people excuse and even support their aims to expel and kill jews living in their hard-won land of refuge. i will never underestimate the grave threats israel faces and has faced for the entirety of its existence, nor will i ever underestimate the oppression that the jewish people have endured for millennia. it is precisely out of this long-standing connection to and concern for the state of israel and its people that i speak today about what i view are the most pressing existential threats to israel's long-term peace and prosperity. after five months of suffering on both sides of this conflict, our thinking must turn urgently to how we can achieve lasting peace and endure - and ensure process is prosperity and security for both the jewish people and the palestinian

people in the middle east. i believe that to achieve that lasting peace, which we so long for, israel must make some significantcorrections, which i will outline in this speech. but first, let's not forget how we arrived at this critical moment. what hamas did was brutal beyond imagination. i have vat with the families -- i have sat with the families of those killed in the assault. i have seen the footage and heard the stories of innocents murdered and raped in heartless cruelty. and as long as i live, i will never forget these images, this proulx and premeditated evil. many of my family members were killed by nazis in the holocaust. october 7 and the shameless response to support that terrorist attack by some in america aro globe have a wakened the deepest fears of the jewish people that hour

annihilation remains a possibility. today over 130 hostages remain captive in gaza. i am anguished by the plight of so many hostages still being trapped deep inside hamas' tunnel -- network of tunnels. i pray for the and for their families who have inspired me with their tenacious advocacy to ensure their loved ones are not forgotten. many of them are americans. john than deckel chin and some of my constituents in new york, omer, keith siegel and itay chen, who we learned this week was brutally killed on october 7 was serving near the gaza border. hamas still holds his body. his father gave me this pin, which i am wearing in remembrance of him. as well as those of americans judy weinstein and gad hagay.

each date their loved ones don't come home carries enough anguish and grief to last a lifetime. i am working in every way i can to support the biden administration's negotiations to free every one of the hostages. i urge everyone at the table to continue doing everything possible to get a deal. hamas has been given a deal already. they should say yes. it is no time to waste. my heart also breaks at the loss of so many civilian lives in gaza. i'm israeli war campaign has killed so many innocent palestinians. i know that my fellow jewish americans feel the same anguish when they see the images of dead and starving children and destroyed homes. gaza is experiencing a

humanitarian catastrophe. entire families wiped out, whole neighborhoods reduced to rubble, mass displacement, children suffering. we should not let the complexities of this conflict stop us from stating the plain truth -- palestinian civilians do not deserve to suffer for the sins of hamas, and israel has a moral obligation to do better. the united states has an obligation to do better. i believe the united states must provide robust humanitarian aid to gaza and israelis to let more of it get through to the people who need it. jewish people throughout the centuries have empathized with thoseho were oppressed because we have known so much of that ourselves. as the torah teaches user, human life is precious. every human life lost is a

tragedy. as the crip tour -- scrip -- as the scripture says, quote, destroys an entire world. what horrifies so many jews is a sense that israel is upholding distinctly yewish values is. -- jewish values. we must be better than our enemies, lest we become them. israel has a fundamental right to defend itself, but as i have said from the beginning of this war, how it exercises that righ protection of civilian casualties when identifying military targets. i have repeatedly called upon the israeli government to do so. but it also must be said that israel is by no means the only one responsible for the i am evens's men's civil -- the immense sixian toll. to blame all israel is unfair, one-sided and often deliberately manipulative and it ignores

hamas' role in this conflict. hamas has knowingly invited an immense civilian toll during this war. their goal on october 7 was to provoke a tough by killing as m as possible in as vicious a way as possible, brutalizing whole communities. since then, hamas has heartlessly hidden behind their hospitals into command centers and refugee camps into missile launching sites. it is well-documented that hamas soldiers use innocent gazans as human shields. the leaders of hamas, many them live lives of luxury in places far away from the poverty in and misfortune of gaza, do not care one iota about the palni they c fight. it bothers me deeply that most media outlets covering this war

and many have placed the blame for civilian casualties entirely on israel. all too often in the media and at protests it is never noted that hamas has gone to great lengths to make themselves inseparable from the civilian population of gaza by using palestinians as human shields. too many news -- news agent significance and -- agencies and newspapers give hamas a pass by not disclosing the shameful practice central to their fighting strategy. this led to an inaccurate perception of the harsh realities of this war. i believe stories that justifiably mention the loss of innocent life should also note how hamas uses civilians as human shields. it almost never happens. i believe -- believe that every protest that justifiably dedescribes the -- decries the loss of innocent men, women, and

children should denounce hamas for their central role in the bloodshed. when protestors decry the loss of palestinian life, but nevern is israeli lives, it confounds and deeply troubles the vast majority non-jewish americans alike, who support the state of israel. given that heal launched their attacks on october 7 to provoke israel, given that hamas sought the ensuing civilian toll in gaza, given that hamas wanted both israelis and arabs to be at each other's throats, tensions on both sides have dramatically intensified. now, as a result of those inflamed tensions in both israeli and palestinian communities, people on all sides of this war are turning away from a two-state solution. including israel's prime minister, neath neath, who in --

benjamin netanyahu who said what many long suspected, by outright rejecting the idea of palestinian statehood and sovereignty, as the highest ranking jewish elected official in our government, and as a staunch defender of israel, i rise today to say unequivocally this is a grave mistake for israel, for palestinians, for the region, and for the world. the only real and sustainable solution to this decades-old conflict is a negotiated two-state solution, a demilitarized palestinian state, living side by side with israel in equal measures of peace, security, prosperity, dignity and mutual recognition. both jews and palestinians have long historic claims to this land. contrary to the unfonded -- unfounded, absurd and offensive claims by some that the jewish people are colonizers in their

ancestralhomeland, jewish people have lived in the homeland continuously for more than three millennia. 3,000 years. for centuries, jews have made ali ah and gone to the land of israel to live and settle. for centuries at passover, jews in every corner of the globe have prayed, next year in jerusalem. a jewish homeland in israel is no 20th century contrivance. israel is our historic home. a home for people oppressed for centur centuries. now the palestinians too have lived on the land for generations, and in past centuries they have formed their own distinct culture,identity, quizine, literature, the idea that, quo quote, there is no such thing as palestinians is inaccurate, offensive, unh unhelpful. the only jest solution is one in -- the only just solution is

one in which each people can flourish in their own state, side by side. for a two-state solution to work over the long term, it has to include real and meaningful compromises by both sides. for example, too many israelis who say they want a two-state s the amount and ex tempt of ex expanding settlements renders that a virtual impossibility. too want a two-state solution don't acknowledge how their insistence on an unequivocal right of return is a fatal impediment to progress. both ways of thinking are impeding the peace process, and there are others on the left who view a two-state solution with skepticism, as an ideal that will never happen. a far-off goal that allows for the continuation of the status quo in gaza and the west bank where palestinians face unique obstacles compared to their israeli counterparts. as a result, they reject a

two-state solution in favor of one state, where palestinians and israelis will supposedly live in democratic peace, side by side. i can understand the idealism that inspires so many young people in particular to support a one-state solution. wh we all live side by side and house by house in peace? i count at least two reasons why this wouldn't work and why it is unacceptable to most jewish people. first, this combined state could take an extreme turn politically, putting jewish israelis in peril. this state would be a majority palestinian. and in theñ■4 past, some palestinians have voted to empower groups like hamas, which seeks to eradicate the jewish people. it i■=s long-standing american policy to support democracy overseas. but in this hypothetical single state, direct could cost israef

ichss take control of -- extremists take control to achieve their true ai the violent expulsion of jews from the holy land. now, this is no abstract fear. thousands of years of jewish history show when things go badly, the people of the country in which jews live, even in a democracy, all too often turn on them as convenient scapegoats. there's no guarantee this wouldn't happen again in a single israeli-palestinian state. to have palestinian voters be the protector of israeli jews would be a bridge too far to accept. second, even more importan jewish people have a right to their own state. it is so troubling to me that many people, especially onhí th left, seem to acknowledge and even celebrate this right to statehood for every group but the jews. if a homeland for all

peoples of the world has been the driving goal of the anti-colonial movement of the last century, then why are only this aspiration? jews have a human right to their own state, just as any other people do, palestinians inuded. as i have said, there are also some israelis who oppose even a two-state solution with a demilitarized palestinian state, because they fear it might tolerate or be a harbor for further terrorism against the jewish state. i understand these the bitter reality is that a single state controlled by israel, which they advocate, ■guarantees certain war forever and further isolation of the jewish community in the world to the extent its future would be jeopardized. let me lineality. they say the definition of -- let me elaborate. they say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing

over and over expecting a different result. if israel maintains the status quo, and goes beyond that to tighten the control over the gaza and west bank, as some in the current netanyahu administration suggested, creating a de facto single state, what reasonable expectation can we have that hamas and their allies lay down their arms? it would mean constant war. on top of that, israel moving s entirely under its control would further rupture its relationship with the rest of the world, including the united states. support for israel has declined worldwide in the last few months, and this trend will only get worse if the israeli government continues to follow its current path. i appreciate that so many israelis cannot contemplate the possibility of two states right now, because they remain so traumatized and angry by what hamas did on october

the brutality, the viciousness, the sexual assault, the imprisonment and abuse of ig to s of hostages. this -- sympathetic to this point of view. i'm upset. i'm angry too. we'll never forget what happened onct even while we carry that anguish in our hearts, we have to think ahead to the future, the medium, the long-term, how we caning li happens again. we cannot let anger or trauma determine our actions or cloud our judgment. a two-state solution may feel daunting, especially now, but i believe it is the only and sustainable solution on the basis of security, on the basis of prosperity, on the basis of fundamental human rights and dignity. but in order to achieve a two-state solution, the reality is that things must change.

right now, there are four, four major obstacles standing in the way of two states, and until they are removed from the equ equation, there will never be peace in israel, gaza and the west bank the four major obstacles are hamas and the palestinians who support and tolerate their evil ways, radical right wing israelis in government and society, palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas, israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu. i will explain each in detail. the first major obstacle to peace is hamas and support and tolerate their evil ways. ha hamas' further destruction of israel and in past decades it unde3ed any hope for peace at every turn. it was hamas who began its vicious campaign of suicide bombings against innocent israelis to derail the nation's

peace process in oslo. hamas snide more -- nated more -- assassinated more moderates in gaza in 2007. hamas held gaza under oppressive, undemocratic rule for close to two targeted those gazans who have spoken out against its actions or tried to bridge a divide between israelis and palestinians. jewish americans and israelis alike have been appalled and hurt at efforts to rebrand hamas, which is designated be ut organization. as noble resistance or freedom fighters. attempts to execute#t their act israelis and palestinians are morally repugnant. a permanent ceasefire effectivively would only allow hamas to regroup and launch fufrt attacks on israeli civilians. there can never be a two-state

solution if hamas has any significant power. however, a temporary ceasefire, such as president biden has proposed, which would allow for the return of hostages and humanitarian relief for suffering palestinians, is quite different, and is something i but any proposal that leaves hamas with meaningful power is unacceptable to me and most israelis. so it goes without saying that hamas can not have any role in a future gaza if we are to achieve the same goes for the minority of palestinians who support hamas and those who dem on 12r5i9 other forms of ex -- dem on 12r5i9 other forms of extremism. the gazans who ventured into israeli territory october 7, the people in the west bank who flooded the streets and from afar the cold-blooded killing of mothers and children, this is appalling behavior. what it may fall short of terrorism, it has no place in a peaceful future for israel and

palestinians. it ought to be denounced by the palestinian public and their leaders who believe in a more sustainable future beyond the cycle of revenge. the second major obstacle to peace is radical right wing israelis in government and society. the worst example of this radicalism are finance minister minister smotric openly subjuga displace of all palestinians in the west bank. he used inflammatory rhetoric and called for punitive restrictions on palestinian farmers in the west bank during the olive harvest. he prevented the transfer of funds to the palestinian au the provision of any humanitarian assistance to g gaza, going so far as to stop agreed upon shipments of now

flour. minister ben gavir is no better. as a young man, he was barred from military service for extremist views. last year, in a view intended to antagonize the population, he visited the temple mount a brazen show of force towards palestinians. during this current conflict, he facilitated the mass distribution of guns to far right settlers exacerbating instability, fueling violence. there's a nastiness to what the ministers believe, and how they use their positions of authority and influence and eager in hes to inflame and provokes that is profoundly irresponsible and self-destructive. in my conversations with israeli leaders, i urged them to do more, to clamp down on the unacceptable vigilance -- vigilante settler violence in the west bank. i have supported the biden administration's efforts to

impose consequences for extremist settler violence. but unfortunate reality is this is openly supported by the ministers. as long as they hold their positions of power, no true progress will be made. while not equivalent, extremist palestinians and extremist israelis seek the sam from the jordan river to the mediterranean sea, they aim to push the other from the land. they may not want to kill all pales outright, but they wants to israeli settlers. this is also abhorrent. as long as these two hold their positions of power, peace will be difficult if not impossible to achieve.

the third major obstacle to peace is the president of the palestinian authority, ma mood abbas. he is beholden to the interests to the detriment of bothhe west bank and gaza. over the years, president abbas evaded the democratic process, declining to hold future elendings for over a deck -- elections for over a decade. despite his long tenure leading the palestinian authority, he achieved few o■&f self-proclaimed goals. the pale authority remains corrupt and incites stabilities through the systems. palestinians are no more prosperous, freer or safer than when abbas first took power. as a result, president abbas lost the trust of the palestinian people. he's a model and spiritual leader.

he in the past took part in justifying nazi actions. refusar weeks to condemn the losses of israeli civilian life on october 7. should abbas remain, the palestinian people can have no assurance the state can be -- nor can they have any belief that the government will be free of corruption. to be any hope of peace in the future, abbas must step down and be replaced by a new generation of palestinian leaders who will work towards attaining peace with the jewish state. otherwise, the left bank will suffer. hamas will continue to main thane a foothold in gaza. the palestinian authority, under new leadership, must undertake a reform process and emerge as a revitalized p.a. to serve as a basis for palestinian state with

the trust of the palestinian people the fourth major obstacle to peace is israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, who has all too frequently bowed to the demands of extremists like minister smotrick and ben gavir. i have known the prime minister a very long time. while we have vehemently disagreed on many occasions, i will always respect his extraordinary bravery for israel on the battlefield as a younger man. i believe in his heart he has his highest priority is the security of israel. however, i also believe prime minister netanyahu has lost his y by allowing his political survival to take the precedence over the best interests of israel. he put himself in coalition with

far right extremists like minister smote rick and ben-gvir. israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah. prime minister netanyahu has also weakened israel'si÷ politc attempts to co-op the judiciary. he has shown zero interest in doing the courageous and visionary work required to pave the way for peace, even before this present conflict. as a lifelong supporter of israel, it has clear to me the netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of israel after october 7. the world has changed radically since then, and the israeli people are being stifled right now by a governing vision that is stuck in the past.

nobody expects prime minister netanyahu to the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, to preserve serm's credibility on the -- israel's credibility on the world stage. if he were to disavow the ministers and kick them out of his government -- as governing coalition, that would be a real meaningful step forward. but regrettably, there's no reason to believe the brian minister - minister netanyahu will do that. he won't disallow them in the calls for israelis to drive palestinians out of gaza and the west bank. he won't commit to a military operation in rafah that prioritizes protecting civilian life. he won't engage responsibly in discussions about a day-after plan for gaza and a long-term -- longer term pathway to peace. hamas and the palestinians who support and tolerate their evil

ways, radical right wing israelis in government andñ% society, president habbas, prime minister netanyahu. these are the four obstacles to peace. if we fail to overcome them, then israel and the west bank and gaza will be trapped in■< same violent state of affairs they've experienced for the last 75 years. these obstacles are not the same in their culpability for the of argues over which is the worst stymies our ability to achieve peace. given the complexity and undert different groups, many different groups have a responsibility to see it through. the people must reject hamas and the extremism in their midst. they know better than anybody how hamas used them as pawnsnd tortured and punished palestinians who seek peace. quite frankly, i haven't heard

enough palestinian leaders express anguish about hamas and other extreme elements. that is the only true way to honor the lives of all those lost. working together for a better future. once hamas is deprived of power, the palestinians will be freer to choose a government they want and deserve. with the prospect of a real two-state solution on the table, for the first time genuine s statehood for the palestinian people, i believe they will be far more likely to support more mainstream leaders committed to peace. if present with a two-state

solution solution, then most mainstream israelis will support it. part of that must mean rejectin. these people do not represent a majority of the israeli public, yet under netanyahu's watch they've had far too much influence. all sides must reject from river to the sea thinking. i believe they will, if the prospects for peace and a two-state solution are real. there are others who bear a serious responsibility to work towards a two-state solution. without them, it cannot succeed. middle eastern powers, like saudi arabia, the united arab emirates, egypt, jordan, can have immense power and influence with the palestinians. working with the united states, they must responsibly deploy

their clout, money and diplomacy to support a new. demilitarized pale state that reject terror and violence. i believe they have the leverage to do this, with the support of the majority of the palestinian people. who want what any other people want -- peace, security, prosperity. be strength in the arab world it will take outside involvement of arab countries to help rebuild something better and more sustainable. it may take some time to identify such leaders, but with the considerable resources of the arab world backing them, i believe these leaders can and will emerge knowing that they have support.

the outlines reported before october 7 still make a great deal of sense and can be the catalyst for the creation of a viable palestinian state. saudi arabia and other nations should continue to pursue normalization with israel and this should be the foundation of a grand bargain in the middle east that will finally make meaningful palestinian statehood a reality. for our part, the united states, the world's superpower must work together with our allies to bring our immense diplomatic and financial power to bear on this situation. we can be a bargain in the middle east by deepening our relationship with the saudis and other arab nations to induce them to make a deal, but only if they actively guide palestinians to a more peaceful future. on the israel side, the u.s. government should demand that israel conduct itself with a a future two-state solution in

mind. we should not be forced into a supporting the actions of an israeli government that include bigots that reject the idea of a palestinian state. israel is a democracy. five months into this conflict,+ it is clear that israelis need to take stock of the situation and ask, must we change course? at this critical juncture, i believe a new election is the only way to allow for a healthy and open decision-making process about the future of israel. hat a time when -- at a time when so many israelis have lost their cthe vision and direction of their government. i also believe a majority of the israeli public will recognize the need for change, and i believe that holding a new election, once the war starts to wind down, would give israelis

an opportunity to express their vision for the post-war future. of course the united states cannot dictate theíf outcome ofn election, nor should we try. that is for the israeli public to decide. a public that i believe understands better than anybody that israel cannot hope to succeed as a pariah opposed by the rest of the world. as a democracy, israel has the right to choose its own leaders, and we should let the chips fall where they may. but the important thing is that israelis are given a choice. there needs to be a fresh debate about the future after october 7. in my opinion, that is best accomplished by holding an election. now, if prime minister

netanyahu's current coalition remains in power after the war begins to wind down and continues to pursue dangerous and inflammatory policies that test existing u.s. standards for assistance, then the united states will have no choice but to play a more active role in shaping israeli policy by using our leverage to change the present course. the united states bond with israel is unbreakable, but if extremists continue to unduly influence israeli power, then the administration should use the tools at its disposal to make s is aligned with our broader goal of achieving peace and stability in e region. i believe this would make a lasting two-state solution more likely. i know there are many on both sides who question how we can discuss peace at a moment like this. so many gazaans are displaced from their homes and struggling to meet their most basic needs.

many are still burying and dead. entire families have been wiped out. in israel, everyone knows someone who was killed on october 7. so many israelis feel that people around the world have no respect for the grief and rage unleashed by hamas' vicious attack. so, is there real hope for peace in a two-state solution? in the face of this atroci, who could blame even the most hopeful among us for hardening their hearts, for giving up on the possibility of peace, for giving in to the hate? i seek my inspiration in the example of leaders who have come before us and work for peace in the face of extreme circumstances. some of israel's greatest warriors and security experts have been staunch advocates for peace■é because they understand better than anybody it is essential to israel's security.

david been -- been gurian sought peace. on the palestinian side we don't have to look■t very far back to see responsible leadership, the former prime minister of the palestinian authority, clear in his condemnation of violence against the israelis. and for the arab leaders of today, may they find inspiration in anwar al sadat and king hussein of jordan who had the courage to seek peace with israel. before october 7, things were moving in the right direction. the united arab emirates and saudi arabia were on the path to normith israel and with conditions that would benefit the lives of the palestinian people. many believe that iran motivated hamas to disrupt this pross the setbacks since october 7. but recent talks between arab

and american leaders suggest the desire is stronger than ever now to find a path forward. arab leaders cannot lose their stomachs for peace now athi t they must continue to pursue the path to normalization with israel and the u.s. should use all of its power t and bring them to the table and make them cooperate constructively. if my speaking out today has any effect, it will probably have greater influence on the israeli and jewish side of things, but if this conflict is to be resolved, we need comparable 0( palestinian and arab leaders to also speak responsibly to their people about the path forward to peace. nowthe time for courageous leadership. after israelis and palestinians have experienced so much horror and loss of life,meaningful comf this war could be doubly tragic. history will look back

on what we do here. are we prepared to make an all-out push for peace once and for all. to bring to this conflict what dr. martin luther king jr. called the fierce urgency of now, to end the cycles of tragedy and pain? i've always said that when horrific things happen, some turn inwards and let their grief consume them while others light a candle and turn their grief into power. they're able to see hope in the darkness. in scripture, we read about how god created the world from an infinite void, that out. greatest darkness can c■oome th greatest light. i hope and pray that from the brutal slaying of israelis by hamas and owing -- harrowing toll, that israelis

and palestinians can live in peace. i■v know there are palestinians who are defying hamased and calling for a pathway to peace. there are other r. are right now some familiesf th 7 in israeli been calling for peace asking their government to transcend the cycle of bloodshed and revenge e revenge. if they can find in their hearts a path to then surely we can also. from the ashes may we light the candles that lead to aident.