As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has grown, more Americans have called on their political leaders to press Israel to stop its assault. But Sen. Lisa Murkowski hasn’t budged from her support of Israel.
She was a focus of attention for the American Palestinian Women’s Association and other pro-ceasefire women’s groups that visited the Hart Senate Office Building last week, calling on female senators in particular.
“They said that it was mothers from Palestine who were sharing their stories,” Murkowski said of one group of visitors.
Murkowski opened a white binder they left for her. She turned page after page of photos of Palestinian children.
“Beautiful, beautiful children who have lost their lives,” she said. “And you cannot look at faces like this and not feel extraordinary grief and a sense of loss. We would be inhuman if we were to think otherwise.”
Murkowski closed the binder and set it back on the coffee table in her office.
Like most members of Congress and like the Israeli government, Murkowski maintains that Israel has a right to defend itself. On Oct. 7, Hamas militants killed roughly 1,200 Israelis and took hostages with them back to Gaza. Israel has responded with air and ground assaults that have killed an estimated 13,000 Gazans.
Murkowski said the actions aren’t morally equivalent because Hamas purposely targeted civilians.
“I have been asked by some about my support for a ceasefire. And the picture that I keep on my desk is a picture of Abigail, who’s 3 years old,” she said. “And Abigail is a hostage.”
Murkowski held an unframed photograph of a toddler with curly hair: Abigail Mor Idan, an American and Israeli citizen. Terrorists killed her parents Oct. 7 and took her away. Murkowski met with one of Abigail’s aunts a few weeks ago. She keeps the girl’s photo on her desk to remind her that Hamas — and others in Gaza — still hold some 240 hostages.
Murkowski puts blame for the deaths and destruction on Hamas and its disregard for the lives of civilians. She echoes what Israel has asserted for weeks – that Hamas built tunnels and command posts under hospitals.
“These facilities have been built over months, possibly years, knowing full well that there may come a time when they needed those innocent people, those ill people, those brand new newborns in an incubator – that they would need them as a human shield,” Murkowski said.
Israel in recent days has focused its operations on al-Shifa Hospital, saying it houses a Hamas command post – a claim Hamas and hospital staff deny. Hamas accuses Israel of committing war crimes by attacking hospitals and other civilian infrastructure.
While she’s not joining the call for a cease-fire, Murkowski says she does want to see more humanitarian aid delivered to Gaza and she wants safe evacuation routes for civilians.
Liz Ruskin is the Washington, D.C., correspondent at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at lruskin@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Liz here.
