[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 116 (Thursday, July 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1570]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       FREE THE ISRAELI SOLDIERS

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 12, 2007

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern 
to recognize the one year anniversary of the capture of three Israeli 
soldiers. Over one year ago, Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated into 
Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the 
border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad 
Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, 31, of 
Nahariya. Weeks earlier, on June 25, Gilad Shalit, 20, of Hila, was 
abducted by Hamas in the Gaza strip.
  As an original cosponsor of House Resolution 107, a resolution which 
calls for the immediate and unconditional release of these Israeli 
soldiers held captive by Hamas and Hezbollah, I was extremely pleased 
that it passed the House unanimously on March 3th of March. This 
critical piece of legislation demanded that Hamas release Israeli 
soldier Gilad Shalit, and required Hezbollah accept the mandate of 
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 to release Israeli 
soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
  My efforts to assist in the release of these soldiers began in July 
2006 when I wrote to American Red Cross' Interim President Jack McGuire 
urging the American Red Cross to apply pressure to the International 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assess the well-being of these 
three Israeli soldiers. In that letter, I admonished Hezbollah and 
Hamas for continuously failing to accede to basic standards of 
humanitarian conduct and denying competent medical personnel and 
representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross access 
to the Israeli captives.
  Hezbollah's and Hamas' blatant disregard for international law and 
the malicious uncertainty they have unleashed on the captured soldiers' 
families is simply heartless. This obvious disrespect for humanitarian 
law warrants an international response. Having met with Karnit 
Goldwasser, the wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, I am 
even more committed to advocate for the plights of these brave 
soldiers.
  I will continue to intensely oppose terrorist activities that 
compromise human life to advance a drastic agenda. These illegitimate 
actions only solidify the United States' commitment to support Israel 
as the only true democracy in the Middle East and achieving peace in 
the region.
  Over the past few years, we have watched violence in Israel and the 
Palestinian territories spiral out of control. Clearly it is time for 
the United States to become more actively engaged in the region. While 
we continue to consume ourselves with our own war against terrorism, we 
cannot forget that Israel has been waging its own war against 
terrorism, as well as its own fight for democracy, for more than 55 
years. Today, I stand with my colleagues in sending a message to the 
people of Israel: The support Israel enjoys from the United States is 
stronger today than it has ever been.
  I will continue to lend my vigorous support and unwavering commitment 
to the welfare and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and 
democratic state with secure borders.
  We cannot remain silent on this grave issue: we owe it to these brave 
soldiers, their families, and to ourselves. Silence would only tell the 
rest of the world that these actions have become acceptable. I urge my 
colleagues to continue to unequivocally condemn these acts and pray for 
the return of these brave soldiers and peace in the region.

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