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Iowa House passes resolution in support of Israel in Hamas conflict [1]
['Robin Opsahl', 'More From Author', '- January']
Date: 2024-01
As Iowa House members passed a resolution in support of Israel during its conflict with Hamas, protesters rallied at the State Capitol in support of a ceasefire.
Lawmakers adopted House Resolution 101 in a voice vote Thursday, which states that the Iowa House supports the state of Israel’s “right to pursue, without interference or condemnation, the elimination of Hamas and any other affiliated terrorist groups” as well as opposing “any pressure to enact a ceasefire before the state of Israel has secured its safety.”
The resolution comes following months of military engagement between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian militant group in control of the Gaza Strip, which began after Hamas attacked Israel Oct. 7, killing roughly 1,200 people.
More than 100 days since the conflict began, Palestinian authorities said Monday that the death toll in Gaza has reached over 24,000. Protesters across the country have called for the U.S. federal government and President Joe Biden’s administration to take a stronger stance in advocating for an end to the conflict. International organizations including the United Nations have also called for a ceasefire to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where the occupants face shortages of clean water, food and medical assistance.
The Iowa House resolution states that the body supports Israel’s right to “act decisively in self-defense to protect its citizens,” and advocated for the federal government to provide Israel any assistance required in defense against Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
House Speaker Pat Grassley said though “any level of death and destruction that’s going on overseas” is unwanted, it was important for the state to show its support for the longtime U.S. ally following the Hamas attack.
“I don’t think as an ally nation, we are in a position where we shouldn’t stand with them,” Grassley said. “And I think, even at the state level … where you’re seeing mass protests and other things like that, we want to send a message that the Iowa legislature stands with Israel.”
Protesters chanted “free Palestine” and “stop the genocide” from the House gallery as lawmakers voted on the resolution before moving to the Statehouse rotunda to demonstrate.
Following the vote, Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids — the only Arab American to serve in the Iowa Legislature — held a news conference where he discussed his ‘no’ vote on the resolution and continued advocacy for a ceasefire. Scheetz, who is of Syrian and Palestinian descent, said there is “no military solution” that will bring stability to Gaza and called for Biden to work toward an end to the conflict.
“Since October 7th, when Hamas killed more than 1,200 Israelis in a brutal attack, I have condemned all violence against the Israeli and Palestinian people – as well as antisemitism and anti-Arab rhetoric and violence,” Scheetz said. “At the same time, there is no reason to believe that more violence in Gaza will lead to an end to a conflict which has raged in that region for close to a century. … This is not justice that will lead to a lasting peace, this is chaos and destruction.”
The Israel-Hamas conflict has caused divisions for Democrats in Iowa and nationwide between members calling for an end to the conflict and those supporting Israel. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst said House Democrats have “every ability to have a conversation on their own outside of this room of what needs to happen,” but did not speak further on the conflict or House action.
“What I’ll tell you is the Israel-Hamas situation will not be solved in the Iowa Legislature and is not really under our purview,” Konfrst said.
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