U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, joined thousands of demonstrators at the March for Israel in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Ernst joined a bipartisan group of lawmakers who support the Israeli Defense Forces in their fight against Hamas.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and the House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., stood together on the stage, speaking in support of the Jewish population and Israeli forces.
“History reminds us … of one thing, that even in its darkest days, the United States has always stood with Israel, and we will do everything to see that that never ever changes,” Schumer said. Schumer is also the highest ranking elected Jewish official in the U.S.
Ernst has been steadfast in her support for Israel since Hamas launched its initial attack on Oct. 7, which killed 1,200 Israelis. Israeli forces have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians in the conflict since the war started Oct. 7 through bombings and continued deprivation of vital resources, according to The Washington Post.
“We’re here today as Republicans and as Democrats to assure you we will not shrink back and shutter and fear … as too many around the world already have,” Ernst said to the cheering crowd. “We will not sit quiet as antisemitism is being promulgated in classrooms and campuses around the country. The brutal reality of Hamas cannot be diminished.”
Ernst has visited Israel multiple times since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. She led a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and Israel to support peace in the Middle East.
“I was on the ground in Israel meeting with American and Israeli families and sitting across the table from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,” Ernst said. “In every meeting, the message was abundantly clear. Do not let the United States cower when the world starts to stand steadfastly in your solidarity.”
On Nov. 13, Ernst called for the United Nations to recognize Hamas as a terror organization and impose sanctions on the Palestinian militant group. She has remained critical of the Biden administration for not being hard enough on Hamas and Iran. However, at the March for Israel, the lawmakers remained firm in their bipartisanship.
“God bless Israel as she rightly defends herself against Hamas and his brutal attacks on Israel, the United States will always have your back,” Ernst said, concluding the speech.
Before the four lawmakers left the stage, Schumer, Johnson, Jeffries, and Ernst held hands, promising unity and chanting “We stand with Israel.”
Ernst has also been a harsh critic of American universities during a rise in antisemitism on college campuses across the U.S. Ernst also joined a group of Senate lawmakers, including Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., a former GOP presidential hopeful that dropped out of the race Sunday, to take away Pell grants from universities failing to curb antisemitism.