US Senators Graham, Cardin Spearhead Delegation Supporting Elimination of Hamas, Forging of Israeli-Saudi Ties
Graham, flanked by senators from both sides of the aisle, warns Iran to refrain from further escalating Israel-Hamas war through additional proxies
Coming off the heels of the trip to Saudi Arabia, US Sen. Lindsey Graham led a bipartisan Senate delegation, joined by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin. The delegation landed in Tel Aviv on Sunday, following a visit to Riyadh where they met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Initially planned before the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas, the trip aimed to promote the expansion of the Abraham Accords and explore a potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Upon arriving in Israel, the senators engaged with Israeli officials from both the governing coalition and the opposition and also met with families of American hostages. Senators from both parties unanimously expressed their unwavering support for Israel’s objective to eliminate Hamas, the terror organization responsible for the unparalleled attack on Israel on October 7.
The bipartisan delegation includes Senators Graham (R-South Carolina), Cardin (D-Maryland), Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Chris Coons (D-Delaware), Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), and John Thune (R-South Dakota).
You will never convince me that this is not about reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Israel
In his opening statement, Graham addressed the timing of Hamas’ large-scale terror attack. “You will never convince me that this is not about reconciliation between Saudi Arabia and Israel,” he said. “The Iranians, through their proxy Hamas, unleashed holy hell on Israel to stop the march toward a better Mideast and a better world. My goal is for them to fail,” Graham continued.
For Iran to fail, he added, “Israel must destroy Hamas.”
Graham underscored the distinction between Hamas and the Palestinian people. “I come here because I love Israel. I do not hate Palestinians. I hate Hamas. I know the difference.”
Echoing Graham’s support for Israel’s right to self-defense, Cardin discussed the brutal acts of violence that Hamas carried out against Israeli civilians. “We have Israel’s back, we are going to give them everything they need to defend itself. We support their efforts to take out Hamas.”
Senator Ben Cardin speaks at the press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 22, 2023. (Tamir Hayun/The Media Line)
Cardin noted that this goal “is in the United States’ interest, it is in the interest of the civility of our planet.”
“I was proud to be part of a resolution in the United States Senate unanimously calling for the support of the State of Israel, identifying Hamas as the perpetrator of these atrocities,” he continued. The resolution called for the “Immediate release of hostages, to make it clear to the enemies of Israel that if you try to take advantage of this situation, we are standing ready.”
Cardin added, “We are united and our hearts are hurting, but we need to be strategic as to how we respond,” emphasizing the need for humanitarian aid and the establishment of safe zones for Gazan citizens seeking to escape Hamas while being mindful of innocent civilians.
There is no future with Hamas
Referencing a future with the Palestinians, Cardin stressed, “There is no future with Hamas.”
Thune pointed to the barbarism from Hamas and said that it “is something we haven’t seen in a very long time.”
He continued: “The only people who benefit from Hamas in this region are their enablers in Tehran.”
Reed discussed American expectations of Saudi Arabia, saying, “We had a productive session with the Saudi crown prince and urged him to join the international community in providing the necessary resources to allow Palestinians in Gaza to escape Hamas’ control and find sustenance until Hamas is defeated.”
Before the trip, Collins met with some hostage families and displayed a photo of Avigail, a 3-year-old American currently held hostage by Hamas in Gaza. She also met with some family members in Israel. “Her older sister and brother, ages 6 and 9, hid for 14 hours in a closet to escape Hamas. Their mother and father were murdered as the father was trying to rush little Avigail to safety. What kind of people commit such atrocities?” she questioned.
“I serve as vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and in that capacity I will be working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle in support of President Biden’s request for $14 billion as it assists Israel to defeat Hamas,” Collins noted.
Coons also expressed steadfast support for Israel and echoed President Biden’s warning to any enemy looking to exploit the situation: “Don’t,” he said.
“Even today, even yesterday there were rockets continuing to come from the Houthis to the south, from Hizbullah to the north, and Hamas in Gaza. There are attacks continuing even today in Israel,” he noted.
He compared Hamas to the Islamic State group, which carried out “brutal attacks on civilians and documented them for the world to see.”
He also emphasized the crucial role of humanitarian aid and highlighted that Hamas is preventing civilians from escaping, using them as human shields.
Sullivan spoke about the eye-opening experiences the delegation encountered during their visit. “It’s a very sobering day, meeting with the families of the hostages, seeing visions that I actually think the whole world should see, of the just severe brutality, and viciousness and evil. These are GoPro head-mounted killings by the Hamas terrorists.”
Turning to the media, he stated, “There is no moral equivalence.”
“Finally, Iran is loosening its leash on its proxies. Look at what happened with the Houthis these last couple of days. We know for a fact that the Houthis would not act like that, firing missiles, rockets, and drones without Iran’s permission. Be warned Iran, be warned. We won’t stand for you widening the war,” Sullivan stated emphatically.
Blumenthal quoted the late Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir: “Israel has a secret weapon; it has no place else to go.” Drawing a personal connection, he added, “Today, one of my cousins serves on the front lines in the IDF.”
The room was charged with emotion as Britt became emotional, recounting her experience hearing the stories from October 7. “I listened as a mom, I listened as a wife, I listened as a daughter, I listened as a sister. Thinking about what these families are going through … thinking about what these hostages are going through, it was unbearable.”
Senator Katie Britt, addressing journalists, said, “I listened as a mom, I listened as a wife, I listened as a daughter, I listened as a sister. … What these families are going through … what these hostages are going through, it was unbearable,” in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 22, 2023. (Tamir Hayun/The Media Line)
Britt addressed what she described as “satanic acts of violence and murder,” stating, “I do not believe that good can exist with evil. … Hamas is pure evil. Israel has every right to defend itself but not only that, they have an obligation to their children.”
Booker had been in Israel just a day before the October 7 massacre began. He had met with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders and had plans to visit Gulf states to discuss expanding the Abraham Accords.
The senator from New Jersey was celebrating the holiday of Simchat Torah and jogging through Jerusalem’s Old City when he received an urgent call to return to his hotel because “Israel was under attack.”
Senator Cory Booker addresses journalists at the press conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, Oct. 22, 2023. (Tamir Hayun/The Media Line)
Upon his return to Israel, he noted, “Two weeks later, it’s not just Israel that has changed—the world has changed.”
“This pain in this region is rippling as far as my country where mosques and synagogues are being threatened. … What ignited this hate across the world? A terrorist organization—Hamas,” Booker continued.
Asked by The Media Line what the Senate, given bipartisan cooperation, could do about the pro-Hamas demonstrations on campuses in the United States, Graham said, “Share the photos, tell the story. [Tell them] ‘You don’t know what you are talking about.’ The people who say, ‘Free Palestine,’ the best thing you can do for the Palestinians is to destroy Hamas and put Iran on the sidelines.”
The Media Line further inquired about China’s role in the conflict. Sullivan said that both China and Russia “have completely revealed themselves.” He noted the absence of any statement from either country condemning Hamas for what he described as “a heinous terrorist action.”
