Sen. John Cornyn visited Temple Emanu-El in Dallas on Thursday to raise awareness about and hear from those who have been affected by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
“Frankly, your courage here today talking about something that I know is very painful is important because we need to help inform people not only in this community but across the country about why this is important,” Cornyn told Aya Margalit, who used to work in Israel and now shares accounts of people reaching out to her for help finding shelter and resources, according to a report in The Dallas Morning News.
While Cornyn stressed the importance of raising awareness about the situation during his visit to Temple Emanu-El, he has also taken legislative action in response to the crisis.
Cornyn announced on Wednesday that he and 19 other officials have called on President Joe Biden to freeze the $6 billion transfer to Iran from September.
The United States and Qatar have reportedly reached an agreement to ensure Iran cannot access the funds. However, many are demanding the Biden administration adopt an official policy.
“Your administration claims these funds are only available for humanitarian use, but money is fungible, and there is a significant risk they could be used to further efforts by Iran or Hamas against Israel,” reads the letter signed by Cornyn and his colleagues.
“Moreover, allowing $6 billion to flow into Iran’s economy, even if the purpose is for humanitarian aid, allows the Iranian regime to reallocate even more funds to supporting terrorism.”
Cornyn spoke with the DMN, saying that Hamas’ attack was “part of a larger plan of people who want to wipe Israel off the map,” adding that the Senate plans to vote on a resolution to condemn Hamas and support Israel.
The resolution would be similar to what the Dallas City Council passed last Wednesday, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
While the United States has taken steps to help those affected by the conflict, Cornyn said he believes more can be done, especially for people who want to return to the United States from Israel.
“There’s more we can do, I believe, as a country to facilitate some humanitarian flights in and out of Israel,” Cornyn said, per the DMN.
