journal and by scheduling information for c-span radio plus a variety of compelling podcasts. c-span now is available at the apple store and goog play. scan the qr code to download it for free today or visit our website, c-span.org/c-span now. gton, anytime, anywhere. >> the house is in recess until attend a party retreat in west virginia but the senate is in ssion today, working on some of president biden'nominations including the u.s. ambassador to haiti. majority lchuck schumer took to thr, calling for a twoteol palestine amid the ongog war between israel and hamas. this is about 45 minutes. president, i rise to speak today about what i believe

can and shoulde path forward to secure mutual peace and lasting prosperity for israel aalestinians. 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 well represented in this country watch discussions about the war in gaza. my last name is schumer which guardian.rom the hebrew word f of course, my first responsibility is to america and to new york. but as the first jewish majority of the united states senate and the highest-ranking jewish elected official in america evey responsibility as a guardian of

the peothroughout jewish histore have been many and plenty who are far greater than i claim to be. but nonetheless, this is a position in which i find myself now at aty for the state of israel, for the jewish people, and for non-jewish friends of 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 are my family, my friends. many of them are my constituents. many of them are democrats, and many are deeply concerneduit ofn new york and around the globe. from the talmud world has driven jews around the globe to do what is right."

we love israel in our bon.what y 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 a jewish hel years of praying and waiting represents one of the most heartfelt causes of my life . unlike some younger americans, i remember how hard it was to achieve that dream. remeer cluhi ear in james madison has goal in 1967 during the six day war, wondering if sea. if the events of the last few months have made anything clear, it is that israel is surrounded byious enemies and there are many people around the world who excuse and even support their aims to expel and kill jews

living in their hard-won land of refuge. i will never underestimate the its existence nor will i everd 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've you are the most■ñ pressing existential threats to israel's long-term peace and prosperity. on both sides of this conflict, our thinking must turn urgently to how we can achieve lasting peace and endure and ensure 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

significant course corrections which i will outline in this speech. but first, let's not forget how we arrived at this critiwhat has brutal beyond imagination. those killed in the assault. i have seen the footage and heard the stories of innocence murdered and raped in heartless crueltyng as i live, i will never forget these images, this pure and premeditated evil. of my family members were killed by nazis and the holocaust. october 7 and the shameless response to support that terrorist attac by some in america and around the globe have awakened to the deepest fears of the jewish people. that our annihilation remains a possibility. today, over 130 hostages remain captive in gaza. i am anguished by thplig otrac\e

hamas's network of tunnels. i pray for them and for their families who have inspired me with their tenacious advocacy to ensure their loved ones are not forgotten. jonathan, hirsch, and some of them arewe tragically learned t, october 7 while serving near the gaza border. hamas still holds his body. his father gave me thiswhich i n remembrance of him. as well as those of americans judy weinstein and -- at with many of these families. i have wept with them. each day that their loved ones don't come home carries enougana

lifetime. i am working in every way i can to support the biden administration's negotiations to free every last one of the hostages. i urge every actor at the table, the israelis, the biden administration, the qatari's, the egyptians, and anybody else at the table to continue doing everything possible to get a deal. hamas has been given a deal 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 am anguished that the israeli war campaign has killed so many innocent palestinians. i know that my fellow jewish american they see the images ofd and starving children. and destroyed homes. gaza is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe. paul 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. s an obligation to do better. i believe the united states must provide robust humanitarian aid to gaza and pressure theisraelit through to the people who need it. centuries have empathized with those who are suffering and who were oppressed because we have known so much of that ourselves. as the torah jesus, every human life is precious. every innocent life loss, whether israeli or palestinian, is a tragedy. as this creature says "destroys an entire world." what horrified so many jews especially is our sense that israel is falling short

upholding these distinctly jewish values that we hold so dear. we must be better than our israel has a fundamental right to defend itself but as i have said from the beginning of this war, how it exat right matters. israel must prioritize the 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 isel responsible for the imminence civilian toll. to blame only israel for the deaths of palestinians is unfair , one-sided, and often deliberately manipulative, and it ignores hamas possible -- hamas's role in this conflict. it has knowingly invited an immense civilian toll during this war. their goal on october 7 was to

killing as many jews as possible in the most vicious manner possible, raping women, bodies, brutalizing whole communities. since then, hamas has heartlessly hiddebe palestiniang hospitals into command centers and refugee camps into missile launching sites. it is well documented that soldiers use innocent gazans as human shields. the leaders of hamas, many of ves of luxury and places far away from the poverty in misfortune of gaza, do not care one iota about the they claim to know -- for who they claim to nobly fight. it bothers me■k that most med■id many protesters opposing it have placed the blame for civilian casualties entirely on israel.

the media and 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 agencies, television stations, new.spaper, pass but hardly ever discovering this shameful practice that is essential to their fighting strategy and th e perception of the harsh realities of this war. i believe stories that juf innocent palestinian life should also note how hamas uses civilians of human shields. ■) happens and i believe that every protest that justifiably deprives the loss of palestinian men, wom, also denoe hamas with their central role in the bloodshed. when protesters decry the loss of pales condemn this perfidy or the loss

of israeli lives, it confounds and deeply troubles the vast majorityf jewish and non-jewish americans alike. who support the state of israel. given that hamas launched their attacks÷yn israel, given that ht 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. and now, as a result of those inflamed tensions in both israeli and palestinian from a two state solution including israel's prime minister, benjamin netanyahu. who in recent weeks has said out loud repeatedly wh many ha long suspected, by outright rejecting the idea of palestinian statehood and sovereignty. as ranking jewish

elected official in our government, and as a staunch defender of israel, i rise today to say unequivocally mistake 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■hco peace pro, and mutual recognition. both jews and palestinians have long historic claims to this land. unfounded, absurd, and offensive claims by some that the jewish people are colonizers in homeland, jewish e lived in the homeland continuously for more than three millennia, 3000 years.

centuries, jews have made a leah -- aliyah and gone and settled. for centuries ate globe have prayed, next year, in jerusalem. ara contrivance. israel is our historic home, a home for people oppressed for centuries. w, the palestinians have lived on the land for generations and in past centuries, they have formed their own distinct culture, identity, cuisine, literature. the idea espoused by some, there

is no such thing as palestinians, is inaccurate, offensive, unhelpful. the only just solution to this predicament is one in which each people can flourish in their own state side-by-side. but for a two state solution to work over the long term, it has to include real mecompromises b. for example, too many israelis who say they want a two state solution, do not acknowledge how the amount and extent of expanding settlements renders that a virtual impossibility. antosay they want a two state solution do not acknowledge how their insistence on an unequivocal right of return is a impediment to progress. both ways of thinking are impeding the peace process. and there are others on the left to view two state solution with skepticism, as an ideal that will never happen, a

far-off goal that allows for the in gaza and the west bank where palestinians face unique obstacles compared to their israeli counterparts. as a result a two state solution in favor of one state, where palestinians and israelis would supposedly live in democratic peace side-by-side ■ñ i can understand the idealism that inspires so many young people in particular to support lution. why can't we all live side-by-side and house by house in peace? count at least two reasons why this wouldn't work. and why it is unacceptable to most jewish people. first, thistreme turn politicaly , putting jewish israelis in peril. this state would be a majority ■+le■ñstinian and in the past, some palestinians have voted to empower groups like hamas. which seeks to eradicate the

jewish people. cy to deport -- to support democracies overseas but in this hypothetical single state, democracy d safety. if extremists were to take control of this new state of affairs to ultimately achieve their true aim, the violent explosion of jews -- expulsion of jews from the holy land. this is no abstract fear. thousands of years of jewish history show that when things go badly, the people of the country in which jews live, even in a democracy, all too often turn on as convenient scapegoats. there is no guarantee this will not 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, and even more important, the jewish people have a right it is so troubling to me that many people, especially on the left, seemed to acknowledge and even celebrate this right to

statehood for every group but the jews. many people, especially on the even celebrate this right to statehood for every group but the jews. if a nationaleland for all peoples of the world has been the driving goal of the anti-colonial movement of the last century, then why are only jews seemingly penal aspiration jews have a human right to their own state, just as any other people do, palestinians included.dc i have if a national homeland for all peoples of the world has been the driving goal of the anti-colonial movement of the last century, than why are only jews seemingly penalized for this aspiration? jews have a human right to their own uded. 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. r reality is that single state controlled by israel, which they advocate, guarantees certain warforever, and further isolation of the

jewish community in the world to the extent its future jeopardized. let me lineality. they say the definition of -- let me elaborate. they say the definition of insanity is doie thing over and over expecting a different result. if israel maintains the status quo, and goes beyond that to tighten the control over the as the current netanyahu administration suggested, creating a de facto single state, what reasonable expect hamas and their allies lay down their arms? it would mean constant war. on top of that, israel moving entirely under its control would further rupture its relationship with the rest of the world, including the united support for israel has declined worldwide in the last few months, and this trend will only get worse if 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 hundreds of hostages. i'm, ig to this -- sympathetic to this point of view. i'm upset. i'm angry too. we'll never forget what happened on october 7. while we carry thh in our hearts, we have to think ahead to the future, the medium, something like october 7 never happens again. we cannot let anger or trauma determine our actions ojudgment. a two-state solution may feel daunting, especially now, but i believe it is the only realistic an 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 changht now 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 thes are hamas and th palestinians who support and tolerate their evil ways, radical right wing israelis in governmentsociety, palestinian authority president mahmoud abbas, israelirijamin n. i will explain each in detail. the first major obstacle to peace is hamas and the palestinians who tolerate their evil ways. ha hamas' further destruction of israel and in past decades it

undermined any hop peace at every turn. it was hamas who began its vicious campaign of suicide bombings against innocent israelis to nation's peace process in oslo. hamas snide more -- nated more -- assassinate more moderates in gaza in 2007. hamas held gaza under oppressive, undemocratic rule for close to two dede targeted gazans who have spoken out against its actions or tried to bridge a divide between israelis and palestinians. americans and alike have been appalled and hurt at efforts to rebrand hamas, which is designated by th united states as a terrorist organization. as noble resistance or freedom fighters. attempts to execute their horrific against israelis and palestinians are morally repugnant. a permanentf ceasefire

effectivively would only allow hamas to regroup and launch fufrt attacks on israeli civili. there can never be a two-state solution if hamas has any significant power. however, a temporary ceasefire, such aproposed, which would all the return of hostages and humanitarian relief for suffering palestinians, is quite different, and is something i a hamas with meaningful power is unacceptable to me and most israelis. sot hamas can not have any role in a future gaza if we are to achieve peace. 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 who ventured into israeli territory october 7, the people in the west bank who flooded the streets and cheered

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 palestinians. it ought to be denounced by the palestinian public and their leaders who believe in a more t cycle of revenge. the second major obstacle to peace is radical right wing israelis in government andorst radicalism are finance minister minister smotric openly calleub 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

authority. he has■ oppos the humanitarian g gaza, going so far as to stop agreed upon shipments of flour. minister ben gavir is no better. as a young man, he was for extremist views. last year, in a view intended to antagonize the population, he visited the temple mount as a brazen show of force towards palestinians. during this current conflict, he facilitated the mass distribution of guns right settlers exacerbating instability, fueling violence. there's a nastiness to what the mister 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 on

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 the unfortunate reality is this is openly supported by the ministers. as long as they hold their positions of no true progress will be made. while not equivalent, extremist palestinians and extremist israelis seek the same goal. 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 replacehe settlers. this is also abhorrent. as long as these two hold their positions of power, peai"ble to achieve. the third major obstacle to peace is the president of the palestinian mood abbas. he is beholden to the interests to the detriment of both the 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 of his self-proclaimed goals. the pale authority remains corrupt and incites stabilities through the martyr systems. palestinians are no more prosperous, freer or safer than when abbasst took power.

as a result, president abbas lost the trust of the palestinian people. he's a terrible role model and spiritual leader. he in the past took part in justifying nazi actions. this e refusal for weeks to condemn the losses of israeli civilian life on october 7. 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 replace generation of palestinian leaders who will work towards attaining peace with the jewish state.6b otherwise, the left bank will suffer. hamas will continue to main

thane a fthold in gaza. the palestinian authority, under new leadership, must undertake a reform process and emerge as a revitalized ■a. t basis for palestinian state with the trust of the palestinian people the is israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu, who has all too frequently bowed to the demands ofnister smotrick a. i have known the■0rime minister a very long time. while we have vehemently disagreed on many occasions, i will always respect his extraordinary bravery for battl man. i believe in his heart he has his highest priority is the however, i also believe prime minister netanyahu has lost his way by his political

survival to take the precedence over the best interests of israel. himself in coalition wih far right extremists like minister and ben-gvir. israel cannot survive if it becomes a pariah. prime minister netanyahu has also weakened israel's political and attempts to co-op the judiciary. he has shown zero interest in doing the courageous and visionary work required to pave thepeace, even before this present conflict. as a lifelong supporter of israel, it has become c me the netanyahu coalition no longer fits the needs of israel after october 7. has changed ra

since then, and the israeli people are being stifled right now by a is stuck in the past. nobody expects prime minister netanyahu to do the things that must be done to break the cycle of violence, to preserve serm's credibility on the -- israel'so. if he were to disavow the ministers and kick them out of his government -- as governing coalition, that would be meaningful step forward. but regrettably, there's no reason to believe the brian minister -- the primein■"ter 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 s2er rafah that prioritizes protecting civilian life. he won't engage responsibly in discussions about a day-after

plan f gaza and a long-term -- longer term pathway to peace.pp ways, radical right wing israelis in government and society, president habbas, prime minister netanyahu. these are the four ob fail to o then israel and the west bank and gaza will be trapped in the same violent state of affairs they've experienced for the last 75 years. these obstacles are not the same in their culpability for the present state o which is the wo stymies our ability to achieve peace. given the complexity and gravity of this undertaking, many different groups, many different groups have a responsibility to see it through. the palestinianeo must

reject hamas and the extremism in their midst. they know better than anybody how hamas used them as pawns and rtured and punished palestinians who seek peace. quite frankly, i haven't heard enough palestinian leaders express anguish■h and other extreme elements.4j the o honor the lives of all those lost. working together for a better future. once hamas is deprived of power, the palestinians willose a govet and deserve. with the prospect of a real two-state solution on the table, for the st 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 rejecting right wing zealots. these people do not represent a majority of the israeli public, yet under prime minister netanyahu's watch they've had far too much influence. all sides must reject from river to the sea thinking. be prospects for peace and a two-state solution are real. there are other serious responsibility to work towards a two-state solution. without them, it cannot succeed. middle eastern powers

saudi arabia, the united arab emirates, egypt, jordan, can have immense power and influence with the palestinians. working united states, they must responsibly deploy their clout, money and diplomacy to support a new dem that rejec 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. th strength in the arab worldñ3■8 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 arab world backing them, i believe these leaders can and will emerge knowing that they have support.

guide palestinians to a more peaceful future. on the israel side, the u.s. government should israel conduct itself with a a future two-state solution in mind. we should not be forced into a position of unequivocally supporting the actions of an israeli government that include bigots that reject the idea of a palestinianj 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 process about the future of israel. hat a time when -- at a time when so many israelis have lost their confidence in the v 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. of course the united states cannot dictate the outcome of a. 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 important thing is t israelis are given a choice. there needs to be a fresh debate about the future of israel after

in my opinion, that is best accomplished by holding an /0ection. now, if prime minister netanyahu's current coalition remains in power after the war begins to 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 tohange the present course. the united states bond with israel is unbreakable, but if extremists continue to uuly influence israeli power, then the administration should use the tools at its disposal to make sure support for israel is alned with our broader goal of achieving peace and stability in theregion. 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 mourning their de families have out. in israel, everyone knows someone who was killed on october 7. soanl that people around the world have no respect for the grief and rage unleashed by hamas' vicio attack. so, is there real hope for peace in a two-state solution? in the face of this atrocity, who could blamen us for hardeni their hearts, for giving up on the possibility of peace, for giving in to the hate? inspirat example of leaders who have come before us and work for peace in circumstances.treme some of israel's greatest

warriors and security experts have been staunch advocates for peace because the essential to israel's security. david been -- been gurian sought peace. on the palestinian side we don't have to look very far back to see responsible leadership, the former prime minister of the palestinian authority, clear in his condemnation of violence 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 ving right direction. the united arab emirates and saudi arabia were on the path to normalization with israel andhe

palestinian people. many believe that iran motivated hamas to disrupt this process and indeed there haven since oc. 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 at this critical inflection continue te path to normalization with israel and the u.s. should use all of its power to influence and bring them and make them cooperate constructively. if my speaking out today has any effect, it will probably have greaence on the israeli and jewish side of things, but if this conflict is to be resolved, we need comparable palestinian and■n speak respons people about the path forward to peace. now is the time leadership. after israelis and palestinians

have experienced so much horror and loss of life, to not have something come out of this war could be doubly tragic. history will look back on what we here. are we prepared to make an all-out push for peace once and for all. to bring to this conflict what dr. fierce urgency of now, to end the cycles of tragedy and of that when horrific things happen, some turn inwards and let their grief consume them whilether light a candle and turn their grief into power. they're able to see hope in the god created the world from an infinite void, that out. greatest darkness can come the greatest light. i hope and pray that from the

brutal slaying of israelis by hamas and the hair owing -- harrowing toll, that israeli pa peace. i know there are palestinians who are defying hamased and calling for a pathway to peace. there are other r. are right now some families of the victims of in israeli who have been calling for peace asking their government to transcend the cycle of bloodsh revenge. if they can find in their hearts a path to peace, then surelwe from the ashes may we light the ■ mitche ashes may we light the

mcconnell came to the floor to respond to the criticism of netanyahu and the government elections. >> the jewish state of israel deserves an