[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 93 (Monday, July 17, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5253-H5254]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORT ISRAEL IN THE WAR ON TERRORISM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Reichert). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, today I was proud to be one of the speakers 
outside the United Nations in New York at a huge rally in support of 
Israel. It was attended by tens of thousands of people and showed 
strong support for the people of Israel as they struggle against 
terrorism. I would hope that later on this week there will be a 
resolution on the House floor to once again show Congress' bipartisan 
support for Israel.
  Mr. Speaker, Israel's fight against terrorism is our fight. The war 
on terrorism is our war. It is everybody's war. We need to support 
Israel in this time of struggle. It makes no difference whether 
terrorists drop bombs on Haifa or send planes into the World Trade 
Center or blow up innocent commuters on their way to work in India or 
London or Madrid, or blow up people in hotels in Bali and other places.

[[Page H5254]]

  Terrorism is terrorism, and those of us who think that terrorism is 
only over there are certainly kidding themselves. Terrorism is 
everywhere, and the only way to stomp out terrorism is to show a 
resolve and to get the job done by defeating terrorists. That is 
precisely what Israel is trying to do.
  Let us remember who started this war. Israel pulled out of Lebanon 6 
years ago, so there is no pretext of any occupation. There is no 
pretext of anything other than the fact that terrorists would like to 
destroy democratic societies such as Israel, and Israel remains the 
only democracy in the Middle East.
  These terrorists want to destroy the democratic way of life, not only 
in Israel, but in America and all other democracies of the world. That 
is why Israel's fight is the fight of all decent nations, including the 
United States of America.
  These terrorists want to destroy life. Israel is standing up to them 
and saying enough is enough. We should let Israel finish the job.
  Israel wants to knock out the terrorist group Hezbollah for good, so 
they can never return to south Lebanon and threaten Israel's 
communities from the south of Lebanon on the northern border with 
Israel. We should let them do that because the status quo is not 
acceptable. We have already heard words from the naysayers telling 
Israel to use restraint.
  Mr. Speaker, I don't believe that we can use restraint, or that 
Israel can use restraint, or that any country can use restraint towards 
terrorists that are out to kill them and us. We should let Israel 
finish the job.
  Let us remember how this started. The terrorists came down from 
Lebanon, raided Israel, went on Israeli territory, killed Israeli 
soldiers, captured a couple of them, took them across the border. That 
is how it started.
  Imagine if this had happened to us, if someone came from the Mexican 
border or the Canadian border, attacked U.S. soldiers on U.S. soil, 
killed some of them and then took them back over the border.
  Mr. Speaker, we would be just as outraged, and we would have every 
right to go after those terrorists. That is what Israel is going to do.
  Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. It is fighting a proxy war for 
Iran and Syria. Iran and Syria lurk behind this. Iran and Syria are the 
biggest supporters of terrorism.
  A couple of years ago, this Congress passed and the President signed 
the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act. I 
wrote that act. I was the lead sponsor of that act, along with my good 
friend, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. That act slapped sanctions 
on Syria for the first time in history.
  President Bush has only implemented some of the sanctions in that 
act, and I call on the President to now implement all of the sanctions 
on the act. Now is the time. Now we have to show Syria and other 
countries that support terrorists that we are resolved to defeat 
terrorism.
  I was very happy when the United States vetoed the one-sided 
resolution at the United Nations, once again condemning Israel, once 
again discrediting the United Nations. The United States needs to be 
steadfast in support, and this Congress needs to do so as well.
  So in conclusion, let me say I look forward to a resolution later on 
in this week. The United States needs to stand by its friend, Israel, 
and Israel needs to stand by its friend, the United States, and all 
peace-loving and democratic nations in the world ought to stand 
shoulder to shoulder firmly against terrorism. Because if terrorism is 
not contained in one area of the world, it surely will come to every 
other area of the world.

                          ____________________