{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=59698989-92A5-40DE-8FF6-95615366982E", "Graham Joins Faith Leaders In Columbia To Declare Support For Israel", "2023-10-13", "2023", "2023-10", "Republican", "Senate", "SC", "Lindsey Graham", "G000359", "www.lgraham.senate.gov", "graham", "https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today led a roundtable discussion and a press conference with faith leaders in Columbia. They discussed the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, the American hostages currently being held by Hamas, and the path forward for Israeli security with U.S. support.\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cHamas has declared Friday, today, a day of rage. I am seeking South Carolinians to declare this coming Sunday a day of prayer. To all houses of worship in the state of South Carolina, please pray for Israel this Sunday. They [Hamas] want rage. I want prayer. They seek destruction. We seek peace. They seek a one state solution, Hamas, the destruction of Israel. I seek a world where Palestinians can live in dignity and in peace with Israel.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=_fb4cv1MLZhQrC58&t=69\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cI have a simple message. I have chosen sides. Israel has nothing to apologize for. Israel did not cause this.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=GPuj9qUpxpzvEpM8&t=107\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cHow did this happen? This is what happens when you appease terrorists for a long period of time. When you give the largest state sponsor of terrorism more money, they don\u2019t use it to build hospitals and schools. They use it to build rockets. The Biden Administration and the Obama Administration in my view, have gotten it wrong regarding Iran for a very, very long time. It is now time to adjust.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=PIIrg6jOFi-KdW0p&t=184\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cIf this war escalates, if there\u2019s an attack by Hezbollah against Israel in the north, if the hostages begin to be killed by Hamas, if American soldiers are attacked in Syria and Iraq, we should go after Iran. The largest state sponsored terrorism provides the money and the weapons for what happened in Gaza. It is time they pay a price\u2026 To Iran, it is your decision to make. Choose wisely.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=re3uzjFY9IElI6Il&t=264\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cThere are no good options for Israel. There will be Palestinians who die as a result of this, who are truly innocent. I blame Hamas, not Israel.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=77ta4yGNhkghE4JS&t=879\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cI want to save as many innocent Palestinians as possible. All Palestinians are not the same. If you defeat Hamas, not only do you make Israel safer, you free up a bunch of Palestinians who have known nothing but terror and oppression.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=d64dg6vwa7PHCJBs&t=329\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cI would like to find ways to protect the Palestinian population. I would like to find humanitarian corridors. I would like to assist in moving civilians out of target areas. But Hamas is a player here. They\u2019re not going to let the people move. They\u2019re going to use their own people as human shields.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=oJCAQHGdYbx1kQO0&t=823\n\nGRAHAM: \u201cHow does this end, from our point of view? Israel survives. They thrive. Hamas is totally destroyed.\u201d https://www.youtube.com/live/E8m25j4d9BA?si=kCw--XAvCAUDVCmr&t=369\n\nClick here to watch the full press conference\n\n#####", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:43:12Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.lgraham.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=59698989-92A5-40DE-8FF6-95615366982E"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6383333131670952, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}