[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 97 (Friday, July 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1477]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


       CONDEMNING THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. DALE E. KILDEE

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mr. KILDEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 921. I 
strongly believe that the State of Israel has the right to defend 
itself and its citizens from attacks from Hezbelloh. No country in the 
world would long tolerate the capture of its soldiers or the continual 
rain of deadly missiles and rockets onto its cities, towns, and 
villages without retaliating.
  Mr. Speaker, I also support the statements by President Bush and the 
leaders of the other G-8 nations that Israel should exercise the utmost 
restraint in its military actions in Lebanon. It is crucial that Israel 
seek to minimize the loss of civilian lives and the destruction of the 
civilian infrastructure of Lebanon, as well as the destabilization of 
the Lebanese Government.
  Moreover, thousands of Americans are currently trapped in Lebanon. 
Many of these Americans have family ties to my State of Michigan. I 
urge the State Department and the Department of Defense to evacuate 
these American citizens swiftly and safely. I am also pleased that the 
Bush administration has agreed to not charge the American citizens for 
the costs of their evacuation from Lebanon.
  Mr. Speaker, the United States is the only superpower in the world. 
We should work closely with the United Nations and the international 
community to help find a lasting solution to Israel's conflicts with 
her neighbors. As the G-8 leaders said in their statement on the Middle 
East, the root cause of the problems in that region is the absence of a 
comprehensive Middle East peace. America should be leading the way to 
such a comprehensive peace between Israel, Lebanon and the 
Palestinians. In the near term, an immediate cease fire would allow 
desperately needed humanitarian assistance to reach the people of 
Lebanon, and would allow the Israeli residents of northern Israel to 
return to their homes and lives.

                          ____________________