On November 28, 'Squad' voted on the resolution that was introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler, which reaffirms Israel's right to exist, demanding Hamas to release the remaining hostages.
The resolutions come as Israel enters its latest round of terrorist attacks led by Hamas since the October 7 attack.
'Squad' Votes on Reaffirming Israel's Rights
WASHINGTON, DC - NOVEMBER 14: Rep.-Elect Mike Lawler (R-NY) speaks with reporters during a break in an orientation meeting in the U.S. Capitol Building on November 14, 2022 in Washington, DC. Over the weekend newly-elected members began the first session of their New-Member Orientation organized by the Committee on House Administration. Over 65 new members of Congress are going through the process as House races in several states remain to be called.
Rep. Thomas Massie, a libertarian, was the only one who voted against Lawler's resolution. Massie posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he agreed with the Jewish state's right to exist but said that anti-Zionism is antisemitism, which was a claim rejected by the mainstream.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who has a history of antisemitism and hostility toward the Jewish state, voted present. While all other members of the far-left group "The Squad," including Rep. Ilhan Omar, favored the resolution.
Rep. Mike Johnson swore in Rep. Celeste Maloy to bring the House back to full strength with 435 members, which was expected not to last long ahead of Rep. George Santos's possible ouster.
Maloy was also sworn in after the vote on the resolution calling to release the hostages. She voted in favor of the resolution that states Israel's rights to exist. The resolution has briefly reviewed the Jewish history of persecution, including the Holocaust, and the meaning of Israel to the Jewish people.
The House of Representatives stated that it "reaffirms Israel's right to exist; recognizes that denying Israel's right to exist is a form of antisemitism; rejects calls for Israel's destruction and the elimination of the only Jewish state; and condemns the Hamas-led terrorist attack on Israel."
According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, whose working definition of antisemitism has been adopted by dozens of countries, including the United States, anti-Zionism includes denying the Jewish state's right to exist is antisemitism. Rep. Haley Stevens passed unanimously the bipartisan resolution calling on Hamas to release all hostages.
Released Hostages in Israel
Hamas took more than 200 hostages and recently released one American among dozens of hostages during the six-day pause amid the Israel-Hamas war. The White House reported that there were still nine Americans held captive by Hamas.
The pause could be extended an extra day if Hamas would release a minimum of 10 hostages each day. On November 27, the pause was extended by two days.
Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the American hostages, attended the Nova Music Festival near the Gaza Strip on October 7. There were still no updates on whether he got treatment or died from the attack.
On November 13, Goldberg-Polin's mother, Rachel Goldberg, pushed the attendees to call on the US government to release her son.
Since the October 7 attack, the House of Representatives has passed resolutions related to the latest conflict. On October 25, the lower congressional chamber also passed a resolution condemning the attacks and supporting Israel.
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