[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 98 (Monday, July 24, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1493-E1494]
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. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 19, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 921.
  No sovereign nation can tolerate having its borders invaded, its 
people shelled and its soldiers kidnapped. America wouldn't, the 
members of the EU wouldn't, and Israel shouldn't.
  Under the circumstances, Israel's response has been measured. Israel 
clearly has the right to defend its cities and its people from rocket 
fire, its borders from terrorist tunnels and its military bases from 
kidnappers.
  Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations. They have no purpose 
and no aim other than to destroy Israel. For months they have been 
waging a war against Israel--and Israel has shown restraint. They have 
lobbed rockets at Israeli targets--and Israel has shown restraint. They 
have bombed Israel's cities--and Israel has shown restraint. They have 
sent their suicide bombers--and Israel has shown restraint. There comes 
a point when Israel can no longer be restrained. It has a right and an 
obligation to protect its people from attack.
  Ironically, these attacks originate in the areas from which Israel 
withdrew its troops and settlers. Israel left Lebanon in 2000 and 
disengaged from Gaza last year. Instead of rewarding and encouraging 
such movement, Hamas and Hezbollah set about arming themselves with 
increasingly dangerous and potent weapons. We are now seeing the extent 
to which these terrorist organizations have been fortifying themselves, 
and it is terrifying. Their weapons are reaching areas of Israel that 
have never been subjected to rocket fire before. Hundreds of thousands 
of Israelis are living in bomb shelters or have been evacuated from 
their homes.
  I am pleased to note that the United States and many members of the 
international community, including the G-8 have supported Israel's 
right to defend itself. ``We demand first that the Israeli soldiers be 
returned to Israel healthy, that the attacks on Israel cease, and then 
naturally for Israel to halt military action,'' German Chancellor 
Angela Merkel told reporters at the G-8 summit.
  Many Arab leaders and opinion molders have also condemned Hezbollah 
and/or Hamas for their actions. Although he issued the usual 
condemnations of Israel, Saud al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, 
also chided Hezbollah's ``unexpected, inappropriate and irresponsible 
acts.'' I understand that delegates from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait 
and the UAE backed Mr. al-Faisal. In the same vein, the official Saudi 
Press Agency opined, ``A distinction must be made between legitimate 
resistance and uncalculated adventures undertaken by elements [without] 
. . . consulting

[[Page E1494]]

and coordinating with Arab nations.'' Ahmed al-Jarallah, editor of 
Kuwait's Arab Times, condemned both Hezbollah and Hamas in an editorial 
on July 15, 2006, writing, ``Unfortunately we must admit that in such a 
war the only way to get rid of `these irregular phenomena' is what 
Israel is doing. The operations of Israel in Gaza and Lebanon are in 
the interest of people of Arab countries and the international 
community.''
  I am pleased that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is planning a 
trip to the region shortly, and hope that she will remain fully 
engaged. In the meantime, Israel should not be asked to stop its 
actions as long as Hezbollah and Hamas continue to send missiles toward 
Israel and to hold Israeli soldiers hostage.

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