Hoyer Discusses Hamas Terrorist Attack on Israel on ABC News Live
WASHINGTON, DC — Today, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) joined ABC News Live to echo his continued support for Israel during this time of terror. Below is a transcript of his interview and a link to the video:
Click here for a video of his full interview.
On the Heinous Hamas Terrorist Attack in Israel
“Well, it's horrific. Absolutely unjustified and carrying out, frankly, what the [Hamas] law says it wants to do in its charter, and that is kill Jews. The fact of the matter is that this is totally unacceptable.
“I think President Biden has spoken for me, for the country, and for all people who honor international law, human decency, and a relation between peoples that is based upon law. So, I think that what has happened is totally, absolutely unacceptable that America will stand with Israel and its right to defend itself and to eliminate the threat that continues to put people at risk who are trying to live peacefully in their own land.
“This is something that we need to be united on and we need to be in this for the long haul. We have two, frankly, major terrorist acts occurring. This one and Ukraine, where Putin is doing the same thing as Hamas has done to the Israelis.
“So we need to be absolutely committed. And we need to try to ensure and give every reason for this to not become a wider war, which would not be good for anybody in the Middle East. I think the Republicans and Democrats in this country are united on this issue.”
On Efforts to Free Hostages
“Well, we're working with anybody. I've talked to a number of synagogues, Rabbis, about people who may be in Israel who need to get out of Israel, American citizens, the hostage issues. [These] are people on the ground in my district, as I think is the case in every district in America, are trying to identify, work with the State Department, work with others on making sure that any American citizens are safe. And if they want to leave Israel, can, in fact, get back home.”
On the Role of the United States
“I think that the U.S. is a leader on behalf of a world of international law and humane treatment of one another and the honoring of relations between countries being peaceful. And because U.S. is the leader of that, we need to be fully engaged. We need to make it clear to others who may want to take advantage of this, whether it be Hezbollah or other terrorist groups, that we will engage on that.
“We will do everything we can to make sure that Israel and others, for that matter, but Israel is secure, sovereign, and its people are safe. I think the President has sent that message. I think the Congress will be sending that message as soon as we organize.
“As you know, we don't have a Speaker now, and so we're unable to pass legislation. But I'm a very strong supporter of a bipartisan resolution supported by over 400 members of the Congress of the United States to make it very clear that we're going to back Israel to the hilt. Or, as the President says, we've got Israel's back. But we've also going to be projecting our influence to those who, as I say, may take advantage of this, including Iran, who we know is a sponsor of terror, a funder of terror, a proponent of terror.
“We need to make sure that they, as well as their surrogates, know that we will do everything we can, which is a lot, to make sure that Israel and its people are safe and can live within its borders peacefully.”
“…Israel's doing what it has to do in order to eliminate this ongoing threat, which tragically, just a few days ago, led to the death of so many Israelis, so many children, so many elderly, so many families.”
“No country, including the United States of America, were we attacked by a neighbor - which is incomprehensible and would not happen - but if we were attacked by either our northern neighbor or our southern neighbor, our response would be overwhelming and decisive. And I think that's what the now coalition government with Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gantz and others joining in to say, this cannot stand. We must eliminate this threat. I think that we need to support those efforts to accomplish that objective.”