On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.

Three days later, House chaplain Margaret Grun Kibben gave the opening prayer in Congress … It was the first meeting of Congress – either the House or Senate -- following the Hamas attack

"This morning, O God, keenly aware of the violence and turmoil in Israel and throughout the Middle East, we pray with the psalmist who wrote: Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May those who love You be secure. May there be peace within Your walls and security within Your citadels. For the sake of our families and friends, we will say, Peace be within you. For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, we will seek Your good. Lord, in Your mercy, for the people of Israel, for the people in Gaza."

There has been a mention of the Middle East conflict in a prayer opening Congress almost every month since the October 7th, 2023, attack.

To mark the one-year anniversary of the attack- C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly" looks back at the year in Congress prayers. One per month.

• What have the Congress chaplains and guest chaplains said about Israel in their prayers?

• What have they said about the war in Gaza?

• And when did hostages start getting mentioned – and which hostages have been mentioned specifically?

Find out in this week's episode of C-SPAN's podcast "The Weekly."

Find C-SPAN's "The Weekly" wherever you get podcasts.

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