“Like all of you, I was shocked and saddened by the barbaric attacks that Hamas terrorists perpetrated against Israel earlier this month. This is of course a serious federal and international issue, not necessarily something we will vote on in the state legislature. Nevertheless, we stand with and pray for the families impacted by these horrific attacks as well as for the 200+ individuals who are being held hostage by Hamas, including many American citizens, and that they will be returned to their families. Israel has a right and a duty to defend itself to make sure that attacks like this can never happen again. Our Israeli and Jewish friends have my support during this crisis.”