[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 163 (Wednesday, November 4, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2709]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  OPPOSING ANY ENDORSEMENT OR FURTHER CONSIDERATION OF REPORT OF THE 
        UNITED NATIONS FACT FINDING MISSION ON THE GAZA CONFLICT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, November 3, 2009

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support 
of H. Res. 867, which calls on the President and the Secretary of State 
to oppose unequivocally any endorsement or further consideration of the 
Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, 
commonly referred to as the Goldstone Report.
  President of the Human Rights Council established the United Nations 
Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict with the mandate ``to 
investigate all violations of international human rights law and 
international humanitarian law that might have been committed during 
military operations that were conducted in the Gaza Strip.''
  The report accused Israel of ``war crimes'' and ``crimes against 
humanity'', while downplaying evidence of Hamas' real war crimes and 
largely dismissing Israel's extraordinary efforts to minimize civilian 
casualties.
  In a turbulent part of the world, we can count on the friendship of 
Israel because we share the important values of freedom of religion, 
speech and thought--values that aren't universally shared across the 
Middle East.
  And yet when Israel responds to defend itself, it is singled out 
unfairly at the United Nations and elsewhere for special condemnation 
and criticism. It is our responsibility, as a friend and ally to 
Israel, to stand up for their rights and denounce those that 
unreasonably target Israel for reproach. While Israel is not perfect, 
we must be ever watchful and steadfast because there is an unfortunate 
double standard.
  Israel showed extraordinary restraint in response to terrorism and 
daily rocket attacks emanating from fanatical Hamas militants in the 
Gaza Strip, and yet until Israel responded militarily, the UN and the 
world looked away. I can think of no country in the world that would 
have shown such restraint in the face of direct attacks on their 
civilians.
  Hamas launched 7,000 rocket and mortar attacks on Israeli cities 
between the pullout from Gaza in 2005 and 2009--Hamas' military 
doctrine makes no distinction between non-combatants and military 
targets.
  During the ground fighting in Gaza, Hamas used mosques, schools and 
hospitals as military sites and employed civilians as human shields--
clear violations of the law of war.
  Unintentional civilian deaths Israel caused during the Gaza conflict 
are condemned as war crimes; the intentional Hamas attacks on Israeli 
civilians are swept under the rug.
  There can be no moral equivalency made between Hamas and Israel, and 
this report's biased conclusion makes it clear, once again, that the 
United Nations Human Rights Council is a farce.

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