In his speech, Wolf highlighted the important place Iraq holds in the origins of Judeo-Christianity, noting that, after Israel, the Bible contains more references to places in Iraq than any other country.

He cited the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as well as Esther and the prophet Daniel, adding that “Many of Iraq’s Christians still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus.”

Wolf said top religious leaders had spoken out recently about the Iraqi Christians’ plight, including Pope Francis, Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Syriac Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Younan, Coptic Orthodox General Bishop Angaelos and Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission at the Southern Baptist Convention.

“Despite these Christian leaders speaking out about the systematic extermination of Christians in Iraq, the silence in this town is deafening,” he said. “Does Washington even care?”