Michigan House Representatives on Wednesday morning pushed a resolution to condemn the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
It was the second time a resolution sought to voice support for Israel after it was attacked by Hamas terrorists. A previous attempt last Friday, Oct. 13, was scuttled using procedural maneuvers and an abruptly adjourned session.
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Rep. Bill Schuette (R) on Wednesday said the resolution “condemns the brutal acts of terror committed by Hamas” and “calls for the release, two, of those in hostage; and three reaffirms our state support for Israel.”
Schuette continued: “Frankly it’s awful that we even have to make this request. It should not be controversial or complicated to condemn what we witnessed in Israel last week,” he said.
“If you watch the videos or see photographs from last week’s atrocity it really it turns your stomach and it makes your heart break. It’s hard to watch. It’s hard to see children were murdered, over 100 hostages remain in captivity, and at least 30 Americans were slaughtered.”
Schuette added: “There is no excuse for this type of barbaric activity. There is no explaining or rationalizing those brutal acts of terror when we see such horrific violence.”
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He called upon his fellow legislators to condemn Hamas’ actions with a bipartisan resolution.
“It is incumbent upon our state government to lead not to wobble, to clearly condemn wrong when we see it, not to equivocate. That is why we have drafted a resolution that does just that because … evil acts of terror were committed by Hamas yet sadly the Democrat leadership of the Michigan House of Representatives refused to take a stand. They refused to condemn these acts and refuse to call for the release of those civilians currently held in hostage and that is a moral failure. That is not leadership. That is wrong and that failure … resonates and reflects so poorly on our state.”
Schuette said the silence of the House regarding the Hamas attack on Israel broadcasts the fear of some in state government.
“[I]t appears as if our state government is afraid and unwilling to condemn the largest killing of Jewish civilians since the Holocaust,” he said. “[W]e cannot remain silent, we cannot afford to equivocate. It is important that we condemn the abhorrent barbaric violence and reaffirm our support for Israel to defend itself. This is not complicated. It should not be controversial and because of that I want to address just some of the thinly veiled criticisms lobbed in our effort here as well.”
Schuette related his past experience working as an intelligence officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency in the Middle East, where he worked on counter terrorism issues.
“I am familiar with the political dynamics and the lengthy history of the region and we’re not trying to legislate a peace plan here,” he explained. “We are attempting to condemn brutal acts of terror. If this legislature cannot even do that we truly have no leg to stand on at all,” he said.
“Secondly,” he continued, “the state legislature approved over 120 resolutions this year alone and the Michigan State House has a long history of approving resolutions relating to international affairs including in this very session, and it is insulting – it’s s frankly callous – to claim that we can do something like approve a resolution declare Tennis Month, but we cannot approve a resolution that condemns the brutal acts of terrorism that we witnessed.”
Schuette called upon House Speaker Joe Tate (D) to “do the right thing,” which he clarified as standing with Israel while standing against terrorism.
Here’s what happened last week:
Michigan House Republicans are again trying to pass a resolution condemning Hamas terrorism.
— The Midwesterner (@Th_Midwesterner) October 18, 2023
Here’s how majority Democrats treated the proposal last week: pic.twitter.com/mf66cq9F37