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WASHINGTON (JTA) — In its first motion below its new speaker, the U.S. Home of Representatives overwhelmingly condemned the lethal invasion of Israel by Hamas on Oct. 7, which launched Israel’s present battle towards the phobia group in Gaza.
“With essentially the most cosponsors of any decision ever, this measure sends a transparent message throughout the globe: The U.S. stands with Israel,” Rep. Michael McCaul, the Texas Republican who chairs the Overseas Affairs Committee, mentioned after the vote Wednesday, posting on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
The decision was accredited 412-10, with one other six members voting current, out of 435 congressional seats. Quite a few lawmakers had been absent, and not less than one seat stays empty pending a particular election.
McCaul, working together with his Democratic counterpart on the committee, New York’s Gregory Meeks, garnered 425 co-sponsors for the decision, which declares that the Home of Representatives “stands with Israel because it defends itself towards the barbaric battle launched by Hamas and different terrorists” and “stands prepared to help Israel with emergency resupply and different safety, diplomatic, and intelligence help.” Among the many co-sponsors, unusually, had been social gathering leaders, together with Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the Democratic minority chief.
Meeks and McCaul, with the backing of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, first pressed for the decision on Oct. 10, three days after Hamas’s invasion. Inside a day that they had garnered 390 co-sponsors, together with progressives who’ve been harshly vital of Israel. However they had been pissed off by the lack of Republicans to elect a speaker after a cadre of far-right lawmakers ousted Kevin McCarthy, the California Republican who beforehand held the position. McCaul pledged to make the decision the very first thing the Home handed below a brand new Speaker.
Mike Johnson, the Louisiana Republican who ended weeks of stalemate together with his election as speaker simply earlier than the vote, mentioned in his first remarks within the position that he was dedicated to Israel’s safety.
“We’ve no higher buddy within the Center East than the state of Israel,” he mentioned. “Israel has a proper to exist as a Jewish and democratic state. the particular relationship between the USA and Israel is unbreakable. Our dedication to Israel’s safety is ironclad and Israel has a proper to defend itself below the worldwide guidelines of battle towards the brutal terror unleashed on its residents by Hamas.”
Jeffries, who participated within the ceremonial passing of the gavel to Johnson, additionally expressed help for Israel in his remarks.
Johnson mentioned he would work with President Joe Biden to cross emergency protection help for Israel. Biden has requested for $10.4 billion, which Republicans say they’re amenable to; nonetheless, he has coupled it with a request for $60 billion in help for Ukraine because it continues to fend off Russia’s invasion, which is controversial amongst Republicans.
5 of the six co-sponsors who voted “current” had been on the Democratic Celebration’s progressive left, which got here below intense strain from exterior teams to chorus from backing a decision that didn’t name for a ceasefire. They had been Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Joaquin Castro of Texas, Nydia Velázquez of New York, Greg Casar of Texas, and Chuy Garcia of Illinois. The sixth lawmaker voting “current” was Ayanna Pressley, a Massachusetts Democrat who didn’t co-sponsor the decision.
Voting towards had been Thomas Massie of Kentucky, a Republican, and 9 Democrats: Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Jamaal Bowman of New York, Cori Bush of Missouri, Al Inexperienced of Texas, Summer season Lee of Pennsylvania, Andre Carson of Indiana and Delia Ramirez of Illinois. A lot of the Democratic “no” votes had been from the Squad, a bunch of progressive lawmakers.
Omar mentioned in an announcement that she couldn’t help a decision that solely famous the victims of Hamas with out additionally noting Palestinians killed in Israel’s subsequent airstrikes in Gaza. Like most of the others who voted no, she can be pushing for a ceasefire, which the Biden Administration opposes.
“I’m dedicated to peace and a immediate ceasefire,” she mentioned. “Whereas the decision rightly acknowledges and mourns the lives taken by Hamas, I can not help a decision that fails to acknowledge and mourn the lives of Palestinians taken by the Israeli army.”
Hamas killed greater than 1,400 individuals, most of them civilians, in its raids, wounded 1000’s of others and kidnapped greater than 200. Gaza’s Hamas-controlled well being ministry says that Israeli strikes have up to now killed greater than 5,000 Palestinians, together with many youngsters. How most of the Palestinian lifeless are terrorists and what number of are civilians can not at present be assessed.
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