In his first public event as Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson declares: ‘There will be a ceasefire only when Hamas ceases to be a threat to Israel.’
LAS VEGAS—Just four days into his new role, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) declared to a largely Jewish audience, “We are going to stand like a rock with our friend and our ally, Israel.”
Mr. Johnson, who was elected to the role on Oct. 25, three weeks after the historic ouster of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), said his actions demonstrate how committed he is to Israel in its war against Hamas terrorists.
“It’s not an accident that the first resolution [in the House] was for Israel—and my first trip was to come and be with you,” he told about 1,000 cheering members of the Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC), who gathered in Las Vegas for their annual leadership summit at the Venetian Hotel.
Mr. Johnson took the stage on Oct. 28, as the song “Takin’ Care of Business” played.
He and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) unveiled steps that they and fellow Republicans are taking to assist Israel.
In response to pro-Palestinian calls for a ceasefire, Mr. Johnson said he would tell the United Nations, “There will be a ceasefire only when Hamas ceases to be a threat to Israel.”
“We had three weeks of turmoil in the house and certainly these weeks of unrest around the globe. But we have emerged even stronger and we are united.”
Party leaders and grassroots activists nationwide are reporting a sense of “renewed energy” and increased fundraising.
“All that’s happened in the last couple of days,” he said. “People are having a sense of purpose again. … We have a moment here, I think, to rebuild the trust of the people and to restore their faith in who we are and why we are here, and what we’re fighting for. And this is clearly the fateful time.”
Mr. Scalise, a fellow Louisianan who introduced Mr. Johnson at the event, listed key legislation to be brought immediately to the House floor now that the full chamber is back in business.
One will be a resolution condemning anti-Semitism on college campuses.
Another would refreeze the $6 billion that President Joe Biden made available to Iran, the leading sponsor of terror worldwide, in his negotiations for a hostage swap.
By Janice Hisle and Dan M. Berger
