The crisis in Israel and Gaza is one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 21st Century.
What is happening right now is unacceptable. Innocent people are dying. Families are starving. Entire neighborhoods have been wiped out. It is not normal, and it
cannot be justified.
I condemn the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7. Nothing can justify killing civilians or taking hostages. But condemning Hamas does not excuse or justify the collective punishment of millions of innocent Palestinians who had nothing to do with those crimes.
A core belief guides me here. You cannot build peace on a foundation of fear, inequality, and separation. And you cannot bomb your way to safety for either side. For decades we have been told that the answer is a two state solution. But two states can only exist if both sides are free, secure, and sovereign. That is not the reality today.
Right now one side controls the borders, airspace, economy, movement, and daily life of the other. Settlements continue to expand. Refugees still have no right to return. Gaza remains under blockade. The West Bank is cut into fragments. No system built on separation and inequality has ever produced lasting peace. Apartheid did not work in South Africa, and it will not work in the Middle East. If the goal is real peace, we must face reality as it is, not as we wish it to be.
I believe the United States should support a future based on a simple and powerful idea: equal rights and equal dignity for Israelis and Palestinians. Democracy means democracy for everyone. Safety cannot come from domination. It can only come from justice.
My guiding principles are:
• protect civilians and stop the mass killing
• end the blockade and allow full humanitarian aid
• free all hostages and end all collective punishment
• condition United States aid on compliance with international law
• support a political process focused on equal rights, safety, and freedom for both peoples
The United States plays a major role in this conflict through military funding and diplomatic support. With that comes responsibility. Our aid should never be used to violate human rights or commit war crimes. No American taxpayer wants their dollars used to level entire neighborhoods, starve children, or deny people access to water, medicine, and shelter.
The actions of Israel since October 7 have moved far beyond self-defense and crossed into the territory of mass atrocities and possible genocide. United States aid must be suspended until Israel stops its unlawful actions.
In the long term we need a lasting and just peace, but there will be no lasting peace until every person in that region, Israeli or Palestinian, can live with safety, dignity, and equal rights. Whether the final outcome is one state, two states, or a shared framework, it must be built on equality, not segregation. Anything less will only continue the cycle of violence and suffering.
I do not claim to have every answer. No single person does. But I know this. We cannot keep repeating the same failed approaches while thousands of innocent people die. We need a new path grounded in human rights, accountability, and the basic belief that all people are equal.
That is the position I will bring to the United States Senate.
