MORGANTOWN — The state Senate on Tuesday took up and unanimously adopted SCR 17, “Reaffirming support of WV Legislature for State of Israel and Jewish people.”
The resolution has 32 sponsors — Minority Leader Mike Woelfel, D-Cabell, does not appear as a sponsor but voted for it; Sen. Mike Maroney, R-Marshall, has been absent.
Sen. Vince Deeds, R-Greenbrier, provided the background on the resolution, briefly recounting the Oct. 7 Hamas attack that killed more than 1,000, wounded more than 3,400, and took more than 150 hostages, including Holocaust survivors and Americans.
“Now more than ever the people of Israel need our support,” he said. We can offer comfort and compassion by taking a stand and showing unwavering solidarity. “Israel is shaken but it will not be defeated. With God’s help Israel will defeat her enemies, and calm will be restored.”
As Americans and West Virginians, he said, we can pray for the peace of Israel, stay vigilant and be prepared to extinguish evil.
The resolution itself says the Jewish people have maintained a presence in their ancestral homeland for more than 3,000 years and “have established a modern, democratic state that upholds the values of freedom, justice, and human dignity. The State of Israel shares a strong bond of friendship and cooperation with the United States of America, based on common interests and values.”
It says West Virginia has a long history of support for Israel, dating back to 1947 when Gov. Clarence Meadows urged President Harry Truman to recognize the state of Israel.
West Virginia condemns all forms of anti-Semitism and is concerned by the rise of anti-Semitic expressions and incidents in the U.S. and across the world, it says. “The state of West Virginia affirms Israel’s right to defend itself against all enemies that seek to harm its people or undermine its sovereignty.”
It orders the Senate clerk to send copies of the resolution to the U.S. president, the U.S. House speaker, the U.S. Senate majority leader, West Virginia’s congressional delegation, the U.S ambassador to Israel and Israel’s prime minister.
This is a concurrent resolution and goes next to the House of Delegates for consideration and a vote there.
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