Senator Tim Scott (R-SC): “We want you to know that as a committed friend of Israel and an evangelical Christian I pray for the peace of Jerusalem. I believe in Psalm 22 and the idea that those who help Israel prosper. I want to prosper. I will always be a strong supporter of the state of Israel. It’s my faith, its common sense and I will always do so.”
Senator Mark Pryor (D-AK) Spoke enthusiastically about Israel which “is our closest ally in the region … I have a good voting record on Israel, because it is our strong interest to see a strong Israel and the relationship between our two countries continue for our mutual defense and security.”
Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) spoke of having “just left Congressional hearing on Benghazi. This is not a settled issue. Truth is what this is about and we’ll get to the bottom of this … The land of Israel is important, the people of Israel are important. For 65 years, we have celebrated the return of the Jews to the land, the terra firma, that G-d promised them … Israel is facing enemies unlike any they have seen, because the Arab spring has produced new threats on all of Israel’s borders … We have to send a clear message: If you touch a hair on the head of Israel, you touch every hair on the head of the United States. We are your friends in good times and bad … The sanctions [on Iran] are a little late in my opinion and Iran is moving closer to nuclear weapons. This is a cocktail we don’t want to see and that no one should ever drink. If there is success in causing Israeli decline or defeat, the United States will very quickly find out what it is to be Israel.”
Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ) addressed in stark terms the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran: “What if the two bombs that were left at the finish line at the Boston Marathon had enriched uranium in them? Instead of mourning the loss of three lives and the maiming of dozens, we would be mourning the loss of hundreds and probably thousands. People would probably not return to our city centers anytime soon … I don’t believe the leadership in the Iranian government is suicidal but they are strategic in what they do. It’s not that they will necessarily fire a missile with a nuclear warhead once they get one. They’d hand it off to a terrorist in Kuwait, who’d hand it over to another in Germany, who’d then pass it on to someone in Kuwait, who would then fly into JFK airport. When the bomb goes off, the Iranians will say that Americans got what they deserved, but that ‘We didn’t do it.’ And can you imagine if our intelligence says ‘Mr. President, we’re 95% sure it came from Iran. Are you going to give the order to drop nuclear weapons?’ I’m not so sure. We could wait till we find out who did it. But I’m not so sure. Do we know who carried out the anthrax attacks 12 years ago? Words will not solve this problem. The first thing the U.S. has to do is to face some harsh truths. The sanctions, which I support, are working to weaken the Iranian economy, but there is not a scintilla of evidence that it is altering its policy, even though its currency has lost 40% value and its oil revenues have dropped … What will change its policy is showing that we won’t allow them to get weapons. A significant weapon that can penetrate and make all the right movements, not to destroy their program, but which will set them back 5 or 6 years is the important thing. The Iranians assess the situation and have come to this conclusion: the U.S. has the means to stop the problem but not the will. The Israelis have the will, but not the means. I don’t believe we should outsource our defense to anyone, not even to so close a friend as Israel, but here is what I think we should do, inspired by FDR’s lend-lease of arms to Britain during World War Two when America wouldn’t get involved in the war in Europe: lend Israel the weapons to do it … I know that all expressions of support for Israel are genuine, but we have to move from words to deeds. I’m asking you today, and I have made this request at the very highest levels, it will take more than that, Republicans and Democrats, to say that this will be the policy of the United States of America. If you insist on developing a weapon of mass destruction, we will support of our friend and ally stopping you.”
