[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 77 (Thursday, May 20, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E910]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




UNITED STATES-ISRAEL ROCKET AND MISSILE DEFENSE COOPERATION AND SUPPORT 
                                  ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 19, 2010

  Mrs. MALONEY. Madam Speaker, I am proud to support the U.S.-Israel 
Rocket and Missile Defense Cooperation and Support Act, H.R. 5327, to 
provide $205 million to support Israel's deployment of the Iron Dome 
rocket defense system.
  Israel is our closest ally and the only true democracy in the Middle 
East, yet throughout its 62-year existence, it has been under attack 
from neighboring states and terrorist organizations like Hamas and 
Hezbollah that deny its right to exist as a Jewish State. Funding for 
this program is consistent with America's promise that there can be no 
space between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to security. U.S.-
Israel cooperation is beneficial to both nations, particularly when we 
collaborate to develop advanced defense technologies like the Iron Dome 
rocket defense system.
  For nearly five years, Israelis were subjected to a rain of terror as 
nearly 8,000 missiles were fired over the border from the Gaza Strip 
following Israel's unilateral withdrawal in 2005, leading to a 
desperate effort by Israel to end the bombardment with Operation Cast 
Lead which began on December 27, 2008. Large population centers like 
Sderot, Ashkelon, Ashdod and Be'er Sheva were hit by rocket and mortar 
fire. Widely derided as `home-made' by the international press, these 
bombs were deadly for those unlucky enough to be in the way. And they 
fell indiscriminately on homes, schools, hospitals and businesses. A 
four year old boy was killed at a nursery school in Sderot. Other 
rockets hit a school and a sports center in Ashkelon. Luck and a system 
of sirens and bunkers kept the death toll down, but thousands were 
injured and thousands more were traumatized by living with daily 
terror.
  Similarly, during the Lebanon War of 2006, residents of Northern 
Israel, including the city of Haifa, were subjected to a barrage of 
Katyusha rockets from Sourthern Lebanon. Nearly 4,000 of these rockets 
fell on Israel during the 5 week conflict.
  While incidents are fewer today, Israeli citizens along the border, 
particularly in the city of Sderot, continue to face occasional rocket 
fire. Evidence suggests that there are now at least as many rockets 
targeting Israel from Lebanon and the Gaza Strip as there were before 
Operation Cast Lead and the 2006 Lebanon War. And while the missiles do 
not fall regularly, they do fall. For example, on August 8, 2009, a 
rocket fired from Lebanon went through the roof of a nursing home in 
Nahariya in Israel, passing through several bedrooms and landing in the 
kitchen. By chance, the rocket hit while residents were on a lower 
level waiting for breakfast and there were only minor injuries and 
shock. Had residents been in their rooms, there would have been many 
deaths.
  Currently, the only defense is a warning siren that sounds 15 seconds 
before the bombs hit, allowing Israelis a few seconds to scramble for 
the nearest bomb shelter or safe room. That's fifteen seconds of terror 
while mothers call frantically for their children and old people 
painfully try to make it to safety. For those who are bedridden, 
there's merely the hope that the bombs will fall elsewhere.
  The best way to end terrorism is to render the terrorists powerless. 
Our $205 million will build a rocket defense system to give Israelis 
another form of self-defense. This defense system will advance the 
cause of peace by enhancing Israel's ability to defend itself from 
attack. Instead of building stronger bunkers and better underground 
facilities, it gives Israelis the hope that the missiles can be 
destroyed before they hit. If the missiles cannot get through, then 
Israelis will not have to cower in their bunkers and basements and safe 
rooms. And perhaps their dreams of a lasting, secure peace will become 
a reality.
  Madam Speaker, I believe this funding offers hope to Israelis weary 
of terror, and reason for optimism for those who understand that peace 
is impossible without the promise of security. Accordingly, I strongly 
support H.R. 5327 and I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of it.