New Jersey’s newly elected U.S. Senator Andy Kim took prompt action to become immersed in foreign affairs, joining a bipartisan Senate delegation in February that traveled to the Munich Security Conference and then visited Israel to mark 500 days since the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Kim’s office reached out to The Jewish Link in the interest of offering his perspective on the trip. The following are notes from an interview with the senator, held by phone on March 3.

Please share some specifics of your recent visit to Israel.

It was a group of seven U.S. senators, four Democrats and three Republicans, led by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and accompanied by White House Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus. The group spent two days in Israel, meeting with hostage family members and government officials.

I understand that while there, you met with members of Edan Alexander’s family. What did you take away from these meetings?

These were the most important meetings of my trip. I feel the necessity to do everything possible to get the hostages out.

I spoke with Edan Alexander’s mother, Yael, and with other family members. I told her that I raised Edan’s name in all my meetings in Israel. She stressed to me the urgency of the situation, which comes from seeing the terrible conditions of the recently released hostages and the malnutrition and trauma. This has dragged on far too long. The hostages shouldn’t be leverage. They are human beings! It really is barbaric and sick how they are being treated.

The families of the remaining hostages feel happy for those released and pained that their relatives remain captive. And they feel somewhat more alone.

Yael is full of energy and hope, which I understand is a way to cope. I feel that I must do everything I can on that front.

Did you meet with any members of the Israeli government? If yes, what did you take away from those meetings?

We met with the foreign minister, the defense minister, and the speaker of the Knesset. We met separately with Prime Minister Netanyahu and some of his aides.

Every meeting started with concerns about Iran. I understand that. The Iranians were dealt a massive blow, especially in Lebanon and Syria. This is a moment to realign and push back on Iranian influence. But it is prompting Iran to push ahead with their pursuit of nuclear weapons.

None of the senators in this delegation thought that the U.S. should own Gaza. We are committed to finding a regional solution to the conflict and to bringing neighboring countries into the talks.

Getting the hostages out is a very high priority for us.

Were there any other parts of your visit that you’d like to share?

In addition to the meetings with hostage families and government leaders, we visited the Museum of Tolerance in Jerusalem and saw an exhibit on the October 7 attacks. It includes very moving testimony from survivors. Our tour was led by a mother who lost two children that day, so the topic was quite personal to her.

Many members of New Jersey Jewish communities have been horrified by the inhumane acts by Hamas terrorists in the hostage handover ceremonies. And we’ve learned of the physical and psychological torture of the hostages by Hamas. Netanyahu has said that eliminating Hamas is a major objective of the war. President Trump’s envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, stated recently that, at the very least, Hamas must have absolutely no role in any future government of Gaza. What is your opinion?

Hamas cannot be allowed to retain control. That was the bipartisan view of all the senators on this visit, and it was the view expressed in all meetings. We can not allow another Oct 7th to happen. I very much believe that.

Yet I’ve learned throughout my career that terrorist groups have a strong ability to regroup and rebuild. We need a concerted effort to resist that and to consider what fills the vacuum.

There is no “military only” solution. There needs to be diplomatic engagement as well. If we leave things unresolved, it leaves kindling for other extremist groups to rise up. We need a comprehensive strategy.

Harry Glazer is the Middlesex County editor of The Jewish Link. He can be reached at [email protected] and he welcomes reader feedback.