Ricketts: Should Any Harm Fall to Any American Hostages in Gaza, That is Solely on Hamas

October 18, 2023

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, joined Senate Republicans led by Ranking Member of the Committee Jim Risch (R-ID) for a press conference on the need to support Israel. The Senators continued to affirm America’s support for Israel against Hamas’ terrorism, destruction, and violence.

A full transcript of Ricketts’ comments is available below and you can watch the video HERE.

TRANSCRIPT

Senator Ricketts: “I want to reiterate what my colleagues have already said. We stand with Israel.

“We must continue to stand alongside them as they take on this war to destroy Hamas.

“Hamas has committed unspeakable acts of terror that have already been described, and Israel has not only the right, but the responsibility, to defend itself. And we need to make sure Israel has the resources to do that.

“We also need to make sure that we know that this was brought upon Hamas by their actions.

“And when we talk about responsibility, should any harm fall to any American hostages in Gaza, that is solely on the responsibility of Hamas. They are the ones that took the hostages.

“Any harm that comes to Americans that they are holding, that’s on them. We need to remember that.

“And again, these calls to deescalate or for a ceasefire, those are foolishness.

“This war has to be prosecuted until Hamas is destroyed and we should not provide any resources to Hamas or Gaza until that is done.

“We didn’t rebuild Europe until after Nazi Germany had been defeated, and that is what should be done now. You don’t provide your enemies resources.

“So the President’s humanitarian aid, again, is misguided.

“We need to make sure that Israel has the resources to win this war. We cannot be supplying the enemy.

“Thank you.”