[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 97 (Friday, July 21, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1489]
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. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I rise to express strong support for 
Israel's right to defend itself against unprovoked acts of terrorism.
  On June 25, members of Hamas attacked an Israeli army post, killing 
two Israeli soldiers and kidnapping another, Corporal Galid Shalit. 
Israel responded with appropriate force, seeking the return of its 
soldier and an end to rocket attacks coming from the Gaza Strip. Then, 
on July 12, Hezbollah terrorists attacked an Israeli military unit 
patrolling the Israeli border south of Lebanon, taking two Israeli 
soldiers hostage. They also began firing dozens of Katyusha rockets at 
northern Israel, including Haifa.
  The acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas and Hezbollah created the 
situation that the world confronts today. Israel could not tolerate 
such assaults on its soil, against its citizens--no nation would. 
Israel responded to these acts of war by defending themselves. They 
entered Gaza and Lebanon to try to rescue their kidnapped soldiers and 
prevent terrorists from committing further attacks on their homeland.
  Both of these attacks were calculated acts of war--attacks on Israeli 
soldiers guarding undisputed Israeli territory. The attacks by 
Hezbollah are blatant breaches of Security Council resolutions 1559, 
1655 and 1680, which certified Israel's full withdrawal from Lebanese 
territory and called for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon and 
an end to attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border. Unfortunately, the 
government in Beirut has not done its part to enhance the security of 
both nations. In fact, the attacks against Israel are the result of 
Iran, Syria, and certain factions of the Lebanese Government's inaction 
towards these terrorist organizations in their country.
  Let's look at the facts. Despite the Security Council resolutions, 
Hezbollah remains an armed militia group that controls 23 seats in the 
Lebanese parliament and 2 ministers in the national government. 
According to the State Department, Hezbollah receives between 30 and 40 
million a month in cash, aid and arms support from Iran. Additionally, 
the State Department reports that Syria is an active partner with Iran 
in supporting and funding Hezbollah.
  At the same time, the leadership of Hamas recently called Hezbollah's 
actions ``a heroic operation.'' It is clear that, despite optimism that 
Hamas would transform into a secular, stable government, it is sticking 
to its roots as a terrorist organization, supporting and encouraging 
attacks against innocent civilians.
  Given these facts, I believe it is time for the world community to 
take action against Hamas and Hezbollah and the nations that support 
both regimes. The United States should demand that the Government of 
Lebanon immediately release the abducted Israeli soldiers. The same 
holds true for the soldier held by Hamas in Gaza. At the same time, we 
must insist that Iran and Syria immediately cease interfering in the 
internal affairs of Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories by ending 
all support for Hezbollah and Hamas.
  The United States must also continue to provide Israel with 
consistent and broad-based support, since an even greater destabilizing 
force is developing in the region--a nuclear-armed Iran with terrorist 
allies in Hezbollah and Hamas.
  I also believe the United States must also play an active role in 
forging a solution to this conflict and its underlying cause. Let us 
not forget that it is not only the lives of Israelis, Lebanese, and 
Palestinians threatened by the fighting. Press reports indicate that 
approximately 25,000 Americans are in Lebanon, many of whom are trying 
to leave that war-torn area.
  The best deterrent to future acts of terrorism is the presence a 
unified world community. In the days ahead, I hope the Bush 
administration works to build a broad global alliance to deal with the 
current crisis in the Middle East, which will act as a powerful 
deterrent against similar acts of terrorism in the future. We cannot 
afford to let Israel go it alone in this conflict--we need the 
engagement of the Bush administration and the world community to punish 
the regimes that support terror, while also supporting the moderate 
voices in the Muslim world.
  At this time of struggle and great peril, we need to stand firmly 
with the people of Israel and their government. Our country will stand 
with the government and people of Israel as they defend themselves. As 
an independent sovereign nation, Israel has every right to respond to 
acts of aggression against its homeland and the soldiers who defend it.

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