[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 97 (Friday, July 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1484]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       CONDEMNING THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL

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                               speech of

                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 
921, which expresses the United States House of Representatives' 
support for the government and people of Israel at this most difficult 
time, and also extends its condolences to the families of all the 
innocent victims of the ongoing violence. I further wish to express my 
condolences to the Americans who are stranded or trapped in Lebanon, 
the West Bank and Gaza amidst the crossfire between Israel, Hezbollah 
and Hamas. My thoughts are with them at this time.
  Though I support this resolution, I feel it falls short in failing to 
call for an immediate cessation to the ongoing hostilities, for an end 
to the loss of civilian life and the destruction of property that is 
occurring in Israel, Lebanon and the West Bank and Gaza. Violence, 
death and destruction are the unfortunate consequences of war. But, 
here, these consequences are especially unfortunate because they have 
been experienced almost entirely by innocent civilians from all sides 
of the conflict, rather than its actual combatants. Over 200 innocent 
Lebanese civilians have been killed, with at least a thousand more 
injured. This destruction of innocent lives must immediately come to an 
end.
  It is the responsibility of our government to protect Americans 
everywhere and lead them to safety during times of war. It's estimated 
that approximately 25,000 Americans are in Lebanon. Yet after 7 days of 
fighting, the government has only managed to evacuate a few hundred. It 
is now reported that 7,000 more Americans are scheduled to be evacuated 
by naval ship to Cyprus by week's end, but this is still not enough. I 
urge the administration to increase the pace at which it is evacuating 
Americans from Lebanon.
  The administration must play a different, far bolder and more 
balanced role in resolving the current Middle East hostilities. When it 
comes to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the administration 
has been disengaged for more than 5 years. Over the past 3 weeks, we 
have seen the disengagement.

  Starting now, the United States must be willing to again engage 
itself, directly and forcefully, in the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
process. We have played an important role in the prior progress that 
has been made toward peace and stability in the Middle East. We must 
resume this role. Secretary Condoleezza Rice must immediately lead the 
efforts for a multilateral diplomatic return to the peace process, and 
hang in there until real fundamental reconciliation is achieved.
  Finally, I am deeply concerned about the impact the current crisis 
will have on the long-term prospects for peace in the Middle East and 
upon future generations in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, and Lebanon. 
A continuation of the violence and hatred will only serve to harden 
feelings and widen the gap now separating the people of this historic 
and cherished part of the world, and to make the securing of a real and 
permanent peace in the region more difficult and elusive than ever. 
Israel must learn to get along with its neighbors and vice versa.
  Sometimes conditions need to hit bottom in the short term before they 
can get better in the long term. My fervent hope is that a decade from 
now, we will look upon these times as the bottom of the descent, and 
the beginning of a wondrous ascent, led by people of good faith in the 
Middle East and throughout the world, that ended the hatred and enmity 
between Israel and its neighbors, and produced the lasting peace that 
the peoples of the region pray for.

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