[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 9, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4306-H4314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE ISRAELI BLOCKADE AND THE FLOTILLA
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of
January 6, 2009, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Weiner) is recognized
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
General Leave
Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material on the subject of the Special Order
that I and Leader Hoyer will be convening for the following hour.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. WEINER. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, in the overnight hours of
May 31, about 10 days ago, news broke that we now have become very
familiar with--the previous speaker referred to it, and several of my
colleagues have come to the floor this evening to talk about it--where
a flotilla coming from Turkey was intercepted as part of the effort of
the State of Israel to defend a blockade that was set up.
I want to spend the next hour talking a little bit about that boat
and how it progressed, where it came from and why, and perhaps
importantly drill into a little bit the idea of what the blockade is
all about and what the history was. It is impossible to fully
understand this issue only looking at it from the point of Israeli
naval officers climbing on board a ship and saying, okay, I think I
understand the story because I see that picture. That would no more be
the truth than to watch the closing scene of Casablanca and say, okay,
I understand what happened in this movie.
This was indeed a tragic thing. Anytime there is loss of life,
anytime you have military officers, commandos climbing on a boat,
something has broken down, something has failed. But what I don't think
is fully understood, and still to this day isn't understood at capitals
around the world, is who initiated this thing and why it was initiated.
Make no mistake about it, my colleagues, as Leader Hoyer will be
mentioning when he arrives here shortly, the condemnation that rang
around the world against Israel is almost a default position in
European and Arab capitals of the world. There is almost no surprise.
It is also true that those very same quarters are the ones that
criticize the United States at just about any opportunity. And in many
of those same places you also see far too much joyous chest beating
anytime something like this goes down where the United States or Israel
is involved.
It was undoubtedly unfortunate that it occurred, but it didn't happen
by accident. If you look at the history of this incident, it actually
started not on May 31, when the sailors climbed aboard that boat, but
it started on May 17, a couple of weeks earlier. What happened then?
What happened then was the Israeli Government got wind of the idea that
this flotilla was leaving from Cyprus, Turkey, and said, look,
understand that there is a blockade around Gaza that controls what can
get inside of Gaza for obvious reasons that I will go into further
later. But, frankly, to stop weapons from going into Gaza, because it
is weapons and missiles that have come into the Gaza Strip, which is
controlled by the terrorist organization Hamas, that have been used to
terrorize Israelis. Terrorize to the magnitude of about 10,000 rockets
have left from Gaza since Israel left it in 2007 and Gaza was
controlled by Hamas.
So they say we have an internationally recognized blockade that's
been supported by both the Bush and Obama administrations to prevent
ships from coming in without their having their goods inspected. So
what the Israeli Government did is they reached out internationally to
the sponsors of this boat and to the people on the boat and said, look,
you are welcome to bring your supplies here to Gaza.
So it was on May 31 that this boat was intercepted off the coast of
Gaza, but it was May 17 that Israel said, look, if you are interested
in bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza, you are welcome to do it. All you
have to do is bring it into Ashdod, which is right here, and we will
look at the goods, make sure there is nothing dangerous in there, and
then we will allow it to be escorted into Gaza via truck.
That's not an unusual occurrence. In fact, as of this morning 11,972
trucks during this period of time the blockade has been in effect have
been escorted in just such a way. It's not unusual for humanitarian aid
to come into Gaza. Despite much of the rhetoric we have heard from the
international community, Israel facilitates it through a process.
Now, the people on those boats, this humanitarian boat that
theoretically was trying to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza, said, no,
we are going to take this flotilla of boats and we are going to go into
the teeth of this blockade. They were reportedly warned repeatedly, and
no one has disputed that.
[[Page H4307]]
They were warned, look, a blockade is essentially a military thing.
It is the same type of thing that we used in our blockade of Cuba. It
is a recognized blockade. Because if you think about it, there aren't a
lot of ways--if you look at the map here, this little stretch of land
is what we are talking about. It borders Israel on some sides. Egypt,
which is a participant in the blockade, they support and help support
the blockade that Israel has. This huge coast here has been used in the
past, particularly by the nation of Iran, to import weapons in.
But instead, this humanitarian ship, which was no humanitarian ship
as we later learned, this humanitarian ship, said, no, we are going to
keep going. Now, I ask you, ladies and gentlemen, none of us are naval
officers in this Chamber. Actually, Congressman Sestak is a naval
officer, and I don't see him here today. But when it comes to enforcing
a blockade, you don't have a lot of tools in your quiver.
Now, there are some ways that you can debilitate a boat, that you can
stop its rotors from turning by essentially jamming it up from waters
underneath. That was done with one, two, three, four, five of the other
boats that you didn't hear about in the newspaper. But those boats were
stopped using the efforts of the military in Israel to stop them in the
most peaceful way possible.
Now, if a boat is coming into a blockade and it might pose a threat
to Israel or to the United States, I mean, you can very easily change
the names of the country and say a boat was coming from Yemen to the
United States, and it's coming in and it wants to cruise down into the
East River. Of course the United States would not let that happen, and
the Coast Guard would say you are going to stop right here so we can
inspect what's on this boat. And if they kept going, certainly we would
not say, oh, that's okay. Every step necessary would be taken to stop
them.
Well, that's kind of what happened here. What effectively happened
was this boat said we are not going to stop, and they said we are going
to leave the Israelis with no opportunity except to board the boat.
That's what created the conflict. Israel did not create the conflict.
They were essentially in a defensive posture, saying this is the line,
don't cross it; and we are going to give you every opportunity before
you reach the line to avert this conflict. The people on the boat chose
not to. They wanted this conflict. They wanted this conflict. They did
not want to deliver humanitarian aid; they wanted this conflict.
Well, once the conflict was upon the Israelis, I think by just about
any definition of restraint the Israelis used restraint. They climbed
aboard with quite literally paint guns on their shoulders to use when
they landed. The only arms that they had were sidearms for the personal
protection of these guys. And when they lowered themselves down on the
boat, they were set upon by these humanitarian peace activists, I say
with my tongue firmly in cheek. They were set upon with knives. They
were set upon with steel poles. They were set upon with bullets. There
were magazines and casings on the boat that did not match any of the
Israeli sidearms. It was tragic that that happened. It was sad that it
happened. But it was almost entirely the decision of the people on that
boat.
Now, I say almost entirely, because that boat did not just appear out
of the ether. It didn't just appear out of thin air. It had an enormous
amount of support by some of the worst enemies of peace in that region,
and some of the worst enemies, quite literally, not only of Israel, but
of the United States as well. And I mean Turkey, Iran, Hamas. These are
not entities that were looking for some peaceful resolution here.
Remember, once again to reiterate, here in the Gaza Strip, when
elections were held in Israel, Israel does not any longer occupy the
West Bank or Gaza. They left. They left it to the Palestinian people.
This part here, the West Bank, is run by the Palestinian Authority.
Many of my colleagues know Mahmoud Abbas was here in Washington today
and met with the President. This is a place that's had a great deal of
economic growth. There has been a reduction in the amount of violence
coming out of the West Bank. There are still problems, and I still
think it is outrageous we provide any aid to the West Bank or Gaza so
long as Mahmoud Abbas refuses to engage in direct negotiations for
peace.
But putting that aside for a moment, in this area here, not the
Palestinian Authority or Fatah, but Hamas, the terrorist organization
Hamas that is funded by Iran, that gets their weapons from Iran and is
in a declared state of war with Israel, has said they don't support a
two-state solution, they support a no-State of Israel solution.
Now, who is it that has been supporting that? Actually, it's not
Egypt here. They have been working very hard to enforce the border that
they have here and help to enforce the embargo. But it's basically
Iran. Iran has been exporting terror here, not only here, by the way,
but also up here to Hezbollah, to Nasrallah in Lebanon through their
agent Syria. But that is why the blockade exists. It's not just because
Israel wants conflict. Quite the opposite: it's to try to prevent
essentially a war going on here with more and more rockets and more and
more armaments coming on shore.
So when this embargo is enforced, it's not only protecting the people
of Israel; it's protecting the United States, because this is a way
that Iran wants to set up essentially what is an agent of their own in
the Middle East. That's what they want.
So when the Israelis boarded the boat, they were set upon. The
sailors were beaten. They were stabbed and shot, as I said. And when
the dust settles, we had an opportunity, as all the world did, to see
what was on that boat.
Let me tell you what the humanitarian aid was that was on that boat:
100 units of metal rods of various length--well, I am sure that was
going to feed a lot of children; 200 knives of various sizes; 150
military-style and Turkish-produced self-defense vests, military-style;
seven electric saws; 100 pipe wrenches; 50 wooden clubs; 20 axes; a
telescopic sight for a gun; four night vision goggles; 100 diving
lights; 150 head lamps; and of course boxes and boxes and boxes of
propaganda and tapes, all of them in Turkish.
Now, if there was a true interest on the part of this boat of
providing food or aid to the people of Gaza, I believe they had an
opportunity, obviously, to go to Ashdod and drive it in. They did not
want that.
So what is the correct response of the United States and the world
community when confronted with these facts? Well, we have a couple of
things. First of all, we should understand that even if we are the last
country on Earth that understands the facts that I have been laying out
here, even if we are the last country on Earth that understands the
importance of Israel's role in the region and how they are set upon in
a similar way that the United States was on September 11, except the
difference is they have that every day, we should stand with Israel.
Even if we are the last country on Earth saying it, we should say,
look, the facts are the facts here.
As much as we would like to say Turkey is a player for peace here,
no, they were a player for war here. And as much as we might like to
say you know what, boy, I wish everyone would just get along in that
region, it's Israel who is now sitting at the bargaining table for
peace and the Palestinians who are refusing to do so.
{time} 1845
But I think, my colleagues, we also have to consider something else,
and that is all our relationships with some of the players who are
behind us. Let's consider Turkey. This would not have happened were it
not for the nation of Turkey taking the role that they did. They funded
the ship. They provided international cover. The Turkish Foundation for
Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief, IHH as it's known in
Turkey, has been linked to Hamas, and they helped to fund this. The
Turkish Government just today voted against sanctions on Iran because,
hey, this is apparently an agent, a country that they would like to be
an agent for.
And for a lot of time, we kind of worship at the altar of the
moderate Muslim state, the moderate Arab states that, you know what, we
hope that they are there to be a fulcrum for peace, but it's not unlike
a child wanting to see a unicorn. It would be great
[[Page H4308]]
if it happened, but we have to realize the facts are the facts, and
NATO membership for Turkey has to be called into question here. We have
to start to say to ourselves whose side is Turkey really going to be
on, because what they did here is, rather than being an instrument for
peace where they could have very easily said, We're sponsoring this
boat. Go to Ashdod right here and offload the humanitarian aid. Or,
We're sponsoring this boat. We're not going to have cases of knives on
board. We're going to have cases of baby food because we want to help
the people of Gaza.
That hasn't happened. And we also have to realize something else, and
then I want to yield to some of my colleagues who have joined me.
We have to realize that the default position of Europe and the Arab
capitals of the world is always going to be against Israel. We can't
allow that and that alone to be the determinant of whether or not, of
how our foreign policy is prosecuted. There's a terrorist state that
controls Gaza right now. It's a terrorist state that, if they could,
they would destroy the United States of America tomorrow, and they're
starting with Israel.
The gentleman from Connecticut has been a great leader on this issue.
I will be glad to yield to him.
Mr. HIMES. I thank the gentleman from New York for his eloquent
treatment of the facts, and I thank him for focusing on the facts at
hand.
One of the most disheartening aspects of the flotilla situation was
the extent to which the facts were initially set aside by much of the
world, and instead, prejudice was allowed to emerge, a prejudice
against our ally, Israel. And we subsequently learned, of course, that
the facts are a good deal more complicated than perhaps we were led to
believe initially. As my colleague from New York points out, this was a
flotilla with more than one agenda, a flotilla with a clear intention
of provoking the kind of response that was ultimately provoked. And
make no mistake, there's not a person in this Chamber or anywhere else
that isn't saddened by the loss of life in the Mediterranean.
But I'd like to step back for a moment, away from the immediate facts
that Mr. Weiner did such a good job at articulating, to some larger
issues that cannot be lost in the week-to-week, the day-to-day of our
relationship with the State of Israel.
The best way I can encapsulate what I'm talking about here is that
Israel, for the United States, is family. We speak of a special
relationship with Great Britain. We have at least a special
relationship with the nation of Israel. It is a relationship of family.
In some cases, very literally. In other cases, and for this Nation as a
whole, we are family because we share so many values, so many of these
values that are incorporated into this building, into our constitutive
documents, our Judeo-Christian values, to which we owe a debt of
obligation to Israel. And, of course, it is the only democracy in a
very, very dangerous region. For that reason alone, we would resonate
with the State of Israel. And, of course, something that is all too
often forgotten, the economic ties that we have, the economic
similarities, economies based on innovation and creativity.
All three of these things make Israel family, and we can't lose sight
of this as the facts are outed. As investigations are undertaken, we
can't lose track of that underlying fact, especially in a world where
our family is at risk--and this room is full of fathers and mothers,
and we know what that phrase means.
I traveled to Israel last summer, and I stood at Sderot and saw how
close and how severe the risks of Hamas, an entity dedicated to the
destruction of the State of Israel, how that is not abstract. In fact,
that is barely an arm's length away from the State of Israel. To the
north, of course, Hezbollah, another entity, sponsored by Iran,
dedicated to the eradication of the State of Israel. And, of course,
Iran itself, not far away and hell bent on the creation of weapons of
mass destruction and leaving absolutely no ambiguity about what it
would do with those weapons of mass destruction.
I'm not saying that any of that changes the facts that my colleague
from New York has laid on the table that will be investigated, that
will be considered, that will probably be most interestingly and
comprehensively investigated by Israel herself. But we cannot, any more
than we lose loyalty to our sons and daughters, our cousins, our
brothers and sisters and our spouses, forget that we are talking about
family, and that when family is at risk, we lean in to our family, and
we remind the world that there is a reason why Israel is part of our
family--a reason of values, a reason of democracy, and the reason that
we stand here today to remind the world that Israel is our family.
Mr. WEINER. I appreciate his thoughts and his leadership on this.
Just to put it in further context of the relationship between the
United States and Israel, this is a tiny town of Sderot that you
mentioned in your remarks. In the period of time since Gaza has been
controlled by Hamas, there have been 6,066 rockets fired from that area
into Sderot, 4,434 mortars. And I ask my colleagues to envision your
town, envision the district that you represent, envision this city
being under that type of barrage from a specific place. Do you think a
blockade would be an excessive step to take? And that's why it's so
important that we stand here today, and it's particularly important
that Leader Hoyer asked us to gather today to make these points.
And before I yield to anyone else, I want to yield to the majority
leader of the House of Representatives, Steny Hoyer.
Mr. HOYER. I thank my friend for yielding. I thank my friend for
leading this effort at my request, and I thank those who have joined in
in raising our voice to defend actions that really need no defense,
actions that any nation on Earth would take if it were similarly
threatened, any nation on Earth.
Mr. Speaker, in the early morning hours of Monday, May 31, Israel
naval forces intercepted six ships carrying mostly Turkish
demonstrators attempting to break the blockade of the Gaza Strip. There
was no confusion. That's what they said they were going to do. Israel
gave them notice 2 weeks prior to this that they would not allow that
to happen. So there was no confusion here about what was happening.
Five of the six ships complied with the IDF requests. The largest of
them, however, the Mavi Marmara, refused, clearly bent on violent
confrontation as it was boarded by Israeli defense forces, as they knew
they would be. There was no confusion. These IDF troops were violently
attacked with knives, clubs, and other weapons.
Let me remind you that in five of the six in this flotilla there was
no violence. There was something in common on all of those ships. IDF
forces were on all of those ships. But five of those ships, knowing
full well that the blockade would not be allowed to be breached,
offered no violent resistance.
At the end of the skirmish on the Marmara, seven members of the IDF
had suffered injuries, including gunshot wounds and head trauma, and
nine demonstrators, tragically, on the Mavi Marmara had been killed. No
one wanted that result. I think not even those who were committing the
violence on the IDF forces wanted that. But once violence is initiated,
one cannot predict the outcome.
Those deaths are tragic. The events leading up to them deserve a full
and scrupulous investigation. But this much, ladies and gentlemen, is
clear. To call all the passengers of the Mavi Marmara nonviolent peace
activists would be a victory for propaganda, not for fact. Peace
activists don't launch attacks with knives and guns, and they certainly
don't do so while chanting slogans calling for the death of Jews as an
al Jazeera broadcast showed. Not an Israeli broadcast, but an Al-
Jazeera broadcast showed the chants from those ships, from this ship,
Kill the Jews.
However much we lament those nine deaths--and we do so--the fact is
that the IDF was faced with an organized, violent assault and responded
in self-defense, as we would expect any of our own forces to do
wherever they may be sent to defend our country. Unfortunately, but not
unsurprisingly, this incident has renewed international condemnation
for Israel's blockade of Gaza from countries I suggest to my colleagues
that would do exactly the same thing.
[[Page H4309]]
I cannot believe there's a country in Europe, in Asia, in Africa, in
South America, or on the North American continent that would not say,
If you breach this blockade that we have in place for our own security,
we will confront you and stop you.
But that blockade exists for a reason: to keep weapons out of the
hands of Hamas, a terrorist organization dedicated to the destruction
of Israel and to random attacks on Israeli civilians.
Mr. Weiner has been pointing out the map. Probably most of us on this
floor who are going to speak have been to Sderot. Some of us have been
in the gymnasium that is an armed camp where it is the only safe place
for the children of Sderot to play. Some have been with me to Sderot.
The attack on Israeli civilians has continued without abatement. I
don't mean that it hasn't lessened from time to time, but never has
there been a time when Israelis felt that the violence was concluded,
because Hamas has made it clear that it will not conclude.
Hamas is dedicated to the destruction of Israel and to random attacks
on Israeli civilians. The blockade was launched with the cooperation of
Israel's neighbor Egypt when Hamas staged a violent coup to expel its
political rivals and seize total control of Gaza. Who were its
political rivals? Palestinians. The elected leadership of the
Palestinian Authority.
And the blockade could end today, my friends, if Hamas recognized
Israel's right to exist--as is the principle of the United Nations--
gave up its commitment to murdering civilians, and released the Israeli
soldier it holds captive.
To the extent that life is hard for those in Gaza, the prime cause is
the terrorist organization that keeps them hostage, holds power through
violence, and monopolizes the food and humanitarian supplies that
Israel allows across the border.
Indeed, ladies and gentlemen, my colleagues, pay close attention to
this point. Indeed, it is Hamas, not Israel, that is currently
preventing the humanitarian goods from this very flotilla from reaching
the Palestinians in Gaza. Not the blockade, but Hamas.
Finally, the United States should and will resist all one-sided
attempts to condemn Israel at the United Nations. The UN, a body
committed by its charter to universal human rights, has for much of its
history, unfortunately, been sadly fixated on singling Israel out for
condemnation--the only democratic nation in that region of the world
that recognizes human rights. And we see the Supreme Court of Israel
saying, time after time, you cannot do that government. That is a
nation of laws. Yet it has been singled out for condemnation as much
more serious crimes and crises have gone unaddressed throughout the
world.
The biased record extends beyond the infamous 1975 resolution
equating Zionism with racism. The U.N. General Assembly has convened an
emergency special session 10 times. Not, I would suggest to you, when
the North Koreans killed, obviously premeditatedly, 46 individuals in
their ship of South Korea in South Korean borders.
{time} 1900
Six of the times that they met out of 10 have focused on one small
besieged nation, Israel, while no emergency session was ever held on
the Rwandan genocide, not held on the ethnic cleansing in the Balkans,
not held on the genocide in Sudan.
The 2001 U.N. World Conference Against Racism neglected racism around
the world to again single out, almost exclusively, Israel and Zionism.
The U.N. Human Rights Council, whose members include Saudi Arabia,
China, and Cuba, has only one permanent topic on its official agenda.
Now, I have mentioned three genocides that have occurred. They are not
on that agenda. Israel. Even Secretary-General Kofi Annan criticized
the Human Rights Council for its ``disproportionate focus on violations
by Israel.''
Should Israel comply with international law and the mores and values
of the international community? Yes. Does it? Yes, yes, it does. And
like every Nation, however, it enjoys the right to self-defense.
This troubled history is exactly why I'm skeptical that the United
Nations will treat Israel justly now. What happened on Mavi Marmara
needs a real investigation, not one colored by years of one-sided bias.
Mr. Speaker, despite what happened last Monday, the fundamentals of
this conflict remain just as they were the day before. The overwhelming
majority of Israelis want to live in peace with the Palestinians side-
by-side in two States. So I believe do most Palestinians, but the
extremism and hate of groups like Hamas stands in the way.
In my view, Mr. Speaker, there were those on those ships who sought
this confrontation. Again, not for the purposes of humanitarian relief
but for propaganda and for putting Israel at risk from those who wish
its destruction. It is not a secret wish. It is an articulated wish.
All the world knows the intent of Hamas: to destroy Israel and remove
Jews from the Middle East because they say so.
Let us not be confused, Mr. Speaker. Finding a way to peace is
fiercely difficult. It should not be made more difficult by those who
see more propaganda value than human values and these loss of lives.
I thank my friend from New York for leading this Special Order that
is so important so that our voices are heard here and around the world
as it relates to our commitment to the sovereignty, security, and
safety of Israel.
Mr. WEINER. Well, I thank you, and before the majority leader leaves
the floor, I think on behalf of all of us in this institution, long
before you were the majority leader here, it was hard to think of a
Member of the United States Congress in maybe anytime in the 62-year
history of Israel that has had a stronger sense of commitment to the
U.S.-Israel relationship than you, whether it was leading this body in
a condemnation of the Goldstone Report, a one-sided document produced
by the United Nations; leading this institution in support for Israel
and, in fact, for the United States during the Gaza war.
It is important, that final note that you made about who Hamas is,
they are an enemy of Israel for sure, but they're also an outpost for
Iran. We have something very strong in common with Israel beyond just
our common sense of democracy and culture. We have the common enemy
that when this boat was traveling, it was traveling essentially doing
the bidding of Iran, and we have to recognize that Israel is on the
front line of what is essentially a threat to us.
I want to thank you on behalf of all of us who fight all the time to
keep that Israel-United States relationship close for all that you have
done in leading this institution.
Mr. HOYER. I thank my friend for his comments and thank him for his
leadership.
Mr. WEINER. It is also important that we recognize something else
that the majority leader said about the use of human shields on that
boat. There were probably some people on that boat who were completely
without malice; although most of the loudest voices made it very clear
that all of them that we heard seemed to want nothing more than
conflict and more than having Israel wiped from the face of the Earth.
But remember, when there was the war in Gaza, when there was the war in
Lebanon, the one thing consistent about agents of Iran that they always
do, these terrorist organizations, they're always using human shields.
They're putting civilians and putting weapons in the neighborhoods of
civilians all the time.
I yield to the gentleman from New York.
Mr. MAFFEI. I thank the gentleman from New York. I also thank the
gentleman from Florida for his graciousness.
Mr. Speaker, I want to address exactly what the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Weiner) was talking about and, that is, Iran's involvement
and what we can do about it. Indeed, it has been since 2007 that
Israel, along with Egypt, has instituted this blockade of the Gaza
strip to stop individuals from smuggling weapons, and over the course
of the blockade, as we have already talked about, Israeli defense
forces have diverted numerous ships, all without incident. Nobody ever
wishes for fatalities or injuries to occur during the enforcement of a
blockade, but the fundamental thing to understand is that Israel has
the same right to self-defense as any country.
[[Page H4310]]
Days before the incident, Israel notified Turkey and other
governments participating that it would not allow flotillas to breach
the blockade at Gaza, and as Mr. Weiner indicated at the beginning of
this hour, humanitarian aid was allowed to be off-loaded in the Port of
Ashdod.
I am confident that the Israeli government will conduct a full and
credible investigation regarding this incident, and it is imperative
that we draw on the special relationship that endures between the
United States and Israel and continue to stand by our ally.
But I'm even more concerned that the media circus surrounding this
incident may distract us from the real threat that Iran continues to
pose, not just to Israel, not even just to its neighbors, but to the
entire world, including the United States. The blockade was largely due
to Iran's continued efforts to smuggle weapons, and we must keep an eye
on that.
Now, in fact, the U.N. Security Council actually passed a resolution
today, Resolution 1929, which imposes new sanctions against Iran
because of its suspected nuclear weapon program, the Revolutionary
Guard, ballistic missiles, and nuclear-related investments. The
resolution does expand on three previous sanctions on Iran by
strengthening and expanding existing measures and breaking ground in
several new areas.
What the majority leader said about the United Nations is correct. We
must always be somewhat skeptical about their resolutions. So the fact
that even the United Nations is now passing this resolution should
indicate a strong message about how dangerous Iran continues to be.
It is increasingly important that the United States stand with the
State of Israel and impose even stronger sanctions than the U.N. has. A
nuclear-capable Iran poses a major threat to the entire world. By
combining a nuclear weapon with a current missile program, Tehran would
be capable of targeting American troops and its allies throughout the
Middle East and beyond.
Iran is one of the leading sponsors of terrorism and continues to
spout anti-Semitic rhetoric regarding the State of Israel. President
Obama has stated all options should remain on the table for dealing
with Iran. However, currently tough sanctions that are strictly
enforced remain the best option to try to persuade Iran's leaders to do
away with their nuclear program.
Both Chambers of the 111th Congress have already passed Iran
sanctions legislation. Currently, the conference committee has been
working on reconciling these different bills. The legislation would
increase pressure on Iran by restricting their ability to purchase or
refine petroleum products. Despite being one of the largest producers
of crude oil in the world, Iran lacks adequate refining capability to
meet its own domestic needs for gasoline.
I believe only a consistent and appropriately tough sanctions policy
will give the level of pressure on the current despotic State of Iran
that has any chance of persuading Iran to drop its nuclear ambitions.
The refusal of Iran to accept the existence of the State of Israel
helped lead to the unrest in Gaza which helped lead to this incident.
The U.N. Security Council resolution is a good step, but America has
an obligation to lead and not just follow.
I really thank the gentleman from New York for his indulgence.
Mr. WEINER. I thank you. The gentleman from Florida, I would be glad
to yield to you.
Mr. GRAYSON. Thank you very much.
The question that has been raised by critics of Israel for the past
week is why is Israel intercepting ships on the so-called high seas,
100 miles from its own shores, and the answer can be summed up in one
simple phrase: self-defense. That simple phrase explains what we saw
and explains Israel's continuing need to protect itself.
Over 1,000 rockets have been fired from Gaza into the territory of
Israel, 1,000 rockets. Imagine what we would do if 1,000 rockets were
fired into San Diego. Imagine what we would do if 1,000 rockets were
fired into Seattle or into Detroit or any other border area.
In the case of Israel, 1 million people live within rocket range of
Gaza, and those 1 million people have been living through hell for
years with a 15-second warning to seek shelter when a rocket attacks.
And as a result of that, 13 Israelis have died, but it's inflicted huge
harm on the people who live within rocket range in south Israel. One-
third of all the children in south Israel suffer from post-traumatic
stress syndrome. Again, imagine what we would do to stop such attacks
if they were directed against us.
That's the fundamental reason why Israel feels obliged, the Israeli
military feels obliged, to do what it needs to do to protect its
citizens. These ships were not in any way interfered with because they
were carrying humanitarian aid. The ships were interfered with for one
reason and one reason only. That's because they could have been
carrying missiles and rockets and things that could be made into
missiles and rockets. It's a fundamental duty of the Israeli military
to protect the people of Israel, just as it's a fundamental duty of our
military to protect us. What they did was what they needed to do in
order to ensure the safety of their own people, and honestly, in the
same circumstances, we would have done the same thing.
Thank you very much.
Mr. WEINER. I would say to the gentleman, I would actually argue that
the military of Israel used such restraint. I mean, frankly, there
aren't too many ways to stop a boat. One of the ways is to fire upon
it. They chose to put their own sailors in jeopardy; although there
should have been no reason to believe that they would be on a
humanitarian boat. Why would anyone expect that someone aboard a
humanitarian aid ship would be set upon?
You know, to some degree the media has to be on notice that there is
some responsibility to report the context of this thing as well, not
just the end. When you see a sailor being tossed overboard, you know,
it didn't seem like a very humanitarian act, and there was a shameful
display by Reuters, who recently published a photograph of the sailor,
the Israeli soldier, that fell on the ground, and they cropped out the
guy standing next to him with a knife to explain where all that blood
came from. That knife was held by someone on this humanitarian aid
ship.
No one knows these facts better than Jerrold Nadler from New York. I
would be glad to yield to him at this time.
Mr. NADLER of New York. Thank you, and I thank you for organizing
this Special Order.
It has been absolutely galling to watch the hypocrisy and the fury,
the underserved fury directed at Israel for taking a step in its own
self-defense. The so-called ``Freedom flotilla,'' which went to break
the blockade of Gaza, had to be intercepted. Israel and Egypt have been
blockading Gaza. They've been blockading it not as humanitarian
materials. Thousands and thousands of tons of humanitarian materials
and food and supplies go through the checkpoints into Gaza every month
by truck. But ships can carry anything.
Israel has stopped ships on the high seas carrying rockets to Gaza.
When they were challenged and the Israeli government urged the Turks
not to allow this flotilla to sail the way it was--and the Chinese by
the way had this right. The Chinese press a day or two before the
flotilla was intercepted printed the headline: ``Turkey Challenges
Israel.'' Not Israel challenges Turkey. Turkey Challenges Israel by
sending these ships knowing that the goal was to break the blockade,
not to deliver humanitarian aid.
When the Israelis made clear to the people on board the ships that if
you land in Ashdod we will send all the materials straight through to
Gaza except for any weapons we find, Greta Berlin, the head of the
organization sponsoring it, said, no, we're not interested in
delivering humanitarian aid.
Mr. WEINER. If the gentleman will yield for a moment, that's right
here. It's not like they were being diverted somewhere far off.
Mr. NADLER of New York. They were in armed rocket range.
Mr. WEINER. Exactly.
{time} 1915
Mr. NADLER of New York. Twelve miles, to be precise. Greta Berlin
said, no, the aim is to break the blockade.
Now, a lot of people, a lot of countries were saying, the President
of
[[Page H4311]]
France, ``How dare they intercept ships on the high seas.'' ``This is
piracy,'' said Prime Minister Erdogan of Turkey.
Well, the law is very clear. If you are fighting someone--and Israel
is fighting Hamas; Hamas controls the territory and has declared war on
Israel and said that war will not stop until Israel is destroyed, maybe
a ceasefire from time to time, but this war must continue until Israel
is destroyed, as far as Hamas is concerned--then you are subject to
blockade. That is a tactic of war.
And in a blockade, you can board the ship, you can, in fact, sink the
ship if that's the only way to enforce the blockade, in international
waters as long as it's clear that it's going to a blockaded area. And
that's from the U.S. Naval Commander's Handbook.
But why was this being done? Because, we are told, they have to break
the blockade. Why do they have to break the blockade? Because the
overall issue is that we must end the Israeli occupation. This is the
real sin. This is why so many people think that Israel is wrong:
Because it must end the occupation.
People forget how the occupation started. The occupation of Gaza and
the West Bank started when Israel resisted a war of aggression aimed at
its extermination in 1967. But we are ignorant of history. History
started 5 years ago.
Israel wants to end the occupation. Israel has offered to end the
occupation, but there is a problem: Who do you give the land to?
And Israel has experience here. Israel withdrew from Lebanon in 2006,
and the U.N. said, ``We will send peacekeeping troops, and they will
enforce Resolution 1701 to prevent the importation of rockets and
arms.'' And what happened? There are 40,000 missiles in the possession
of Hezbollah in Lebanon today because the U.N. peacekeepers stand
aside. And Israel has learned that she cannot depend on the U.N. or the
international community or anybody else to defend her.
Gaza Israel withdrew from in 2005 and left behind agricultural
establishments and other things. What happened? Hamas took over and
turned it into a rocket launching pad against Israel. Over 10,000
rockets have been launched against Israel.
Mr. WEINER. Just so everyone understands the points that Mr. Nadler
is making, this piece of real estate, about the size of New Jersey, now
has a terrorist agent here in Gaza in the south; a terrorist agent up
here in Lebanon, governed by Hezbollah, at least about 25 percent of
its government is, and Nasrallah, and Hezbollah controls this area
here; and a terrorist agent of Iran right here in Syria, which once
upon a time controlled literally the mountaintop overlooking the
country.
So what the gentleman is describing is terrorist, terrorist,
terrorist functions, all in support of the same enemies of the United
States, and that's Iran.
Mr. NADLER of New York. But Israel still wants to end the occupation.
Israel wants to be left in peace. Israel offered in 2000 at Camp David,
in 2001 at Taba.
And what was their offer? Israel said, ``We will withdraw from the
entire Gaza Strip. We will withdraw from 97 percent of the West Bank.
We will give land swaps to the Palestinians to make it equivalent to
100 percent of the acreage. And we will share Jerusalem. But, in
return, they have to agree that the war is over.'' They wouldn't agree,
and they started the first intifada.
Prime Minister Olmert renewed the offer in 2008, but they will not
agree to end of claims or to demilitarization. That's the real issue.
If they would agree to that, if the Palestinians would agree that the
West Bank cannot be used--if they gave it back, that the West Bank
would not be used as a rocket launching pad, that Gaza would not be
used as a rocket launching pad, that Israel could live in peace if she
withdrew, that deal could be made. And it could be made; it's been
offered.
And until the Palestinians are willing to live in peace and are
willing to talk about it--the Palestinians, even Abbas, won't even talk
to the Israelis now, only to the Americans. Until they are willing to
talk and make that agreement, the occupation will continue, and it will
be the fault of the Palestinians, not the Israelis.
Mr. WEINER. Well, the gentleman makes an excellent point. And the
gentleman from Virginia, I know, is expert on these issues, as well.
And it is important to understand that, just today, Mahmoud Abbas was
in town.
And I would gladly yield to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Nye),
who has shown remarkable leadership on these issues in his brief time
in the House, to pick up on some of the points that Mr. Nadler made.
Mr. NYE. I would like to start by thanking my colleague from New York
for laying out the issue very concisely tonight and for his leadership
on the issue. And, as someone who has spent a significant amount of
time, myself, both in Israel and in a number of the surrounding
countries, I want to rise today to reaffirm the U.S.-Israeli bond of
mutual defense and security.
Our friendship gives us peace of mind in knowing that we will always
have each other's support in one of the most volatile regions of the
world. I maintain my strong support for Israel's right to exist and to
protect herself. As the lone bastion of democracy in the region, Israel
is our closest ally against terrorist groups, and I am committed to
seeing our friendship continue.
The recent loss of life off the coast of Gaza is distressing.
However, it is troubling that many have rushed to judgment while
failing to recognize the serious security challenges Israel faces every
day necessitating the Gaza blockade.
As my colleague has mentioned tonight, Hamas terrorists in Gaza
launch frequent rocket attacks directed at Israeli towns than too often
take the lives of innocent civilians. And, as our majority leader said
earlier this evening in describing a trip that I joined him on last
summer, Israeli children are forced to hide in concrete bunkers in
order to have a safe place to play.
Hamas makes relentless efforts to import into Gaza, through any means
possible, the parts for these deadly rockets, complicating Israel's
efforts to safely allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
Lasting peace between the Israelis and Palestinians requires that
Israel can assure the safety of its population against terrorist
threats. And that is why I recently introduced and helped pass in the
House H.R. 5327, the United States-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation
and Support Act.
The funds authorized by the bill will allow Israel to build two Iron
Dome missile defense batteries that will help protect Israeli citizens
living in cities like Sderot, who have been terrorized by over 8,000
indiscriminate rocket and mortar attacks on their homes, schools, and
communities.
Mr. Speaker, U.S.-Israeli cooperation on the Iron Dome system will
help advance the cause of peace by supporting Israel's ability to
defend civilian areas from terrorist attacks, creating the necessary
space for a successful peace process.
Again, I want to thank my colleague from New York for his leadership
on the issue.
Mr. WEINER. Well, I thank you.
And you are exactly right. Our cooperation with the State of Israel
has never been higher, in terms of military and intelligence.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Florida, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a
member of the Appropriations Committee, a powerful committee, who
recently led a delegation to the Middle East which I was honored to be
a part of. The House knows no stronger advocate for the U.S.-Israel
relationship than she.
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And it was
an absolute pleasure to join you on the CODEL to the Middle East in
January where we learned quite a bit about the progress of the peace
process.
And it has been noted by a number of our colleagues this evening that
we cannot allow, in spite of all the recent controversy--which is
unclear to me why a country that is defending its borders, its
territory, and its people is controversial--but that we cannot allow it
to take our focus off to that of a nuclear-armed Iran.
One of the things that is unbelievable to me has been the criticism
and the questions that have been thrown at Israel: first, that they
supposedly boarded the flotilla ships in international waters as if
they somehow
[[Page H4312]]
didn't have the right to do that. That this is a legal blockade, there
isn't any disputing that. They are well within their rights and,
understandably, are defending their borders and their people.
Because what country would not make sure that items coming in from a
ship to an area that is run by a hostile terrorist organization would
not be checked to make sure that they are the genuine humanitarian aid
that the people bringing the goods in say that it is? That is simply
common sense. And I would think that the citizens of any nation would
expect nothing less than their government.
But the other criticism that I have heard during the week is that
somehow the people of Gaza--and no one denies that there is suffering
that has gone on in Gaza. The people of Gaza went through a war. They
continue to be ruled by a terrorist organization, and so, as a result,
they are definitely suffering.
But it is important to note that, over the last 18 months, Israel has
allowed a steady flow of humanitarian aid and food to go to the people
of Gaza. One million tons of humanitarian aid, to be specific, have
been allowed into Gaza over the last 18 months, the equivalent of one
ton of aid per man, woman, and child in food and materials living in
Gaza today.
Mr. WEINER. And I would point out, that same exact offer was made to
this flotilla: Come to Ashdod right here. And it wasn't made an hour
before; it was made 10 days before, as soon as the word got out, even
before it had left port. The nation of Turkey, who was sponsoring this,
and the sponsors of the boat were told, ``Listen, just go right here,
and we will take a look at what you have, and then we will escort it
militarily into Gaza for you.''
Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. And just a few days later, an Irish ship, the
Rachel Corrie, was offered the same thing, to take their goods. And
they were also challenging the blockade, yet had a very different
response and accepted the boarding and accepted travel to the port of
Ashdod and had their goods offloaded.
The point is that Israel cannot be expected to stand idly by and
allow for goods to be flowing unchecked without making sure that there
aren't hostile intentions behind those goods.
And as Israel continues to face unjust criticism on the world stage,
the United States must continue and will continue to support our
friend, ally, and partner. And I am so proud to stand with my
colleagues today.
You have a tragic situation that occurred, but we cannot forget that
this blockade exists because Hamas, the ruling party of Gaza, is a
terrorist organization with the sworn goal to destroy the Jewish state.
A blockade supported by both Israel and Egypt is a means to stop the
smuggling of illegal materials and weapons to Hamas.
And I am so pleased that you have organized this special order hour
this evening and look forward to continuing to stand with you.
Mr. WEINER. I thank the gentlewoman. And as someone who represents
south Florida, you know that if a boat came churning towards the coast,
and let's say it came from Yemen, and it had people on it who were
chanting ``Death to Floridians,'' and it wouldn't stop when the
military offered it an opportunity to, we would certainly not, as
Americans, expect to say, ``Okay, we will just see what happens when it
reaches shore.'' You are exactly right to point out the necessity of
stopping it in international waters. That's where blockades happen.
I yield to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Schwartz), who also
understands these issues and, long before she even came to this body,
was fighting to preserve the Israel-United States relationship.
Ms. SCHWARTZ. I appreciate your organizing this hour of special order
and giving us the opportunity to speak about the Gaza flotilla incident
and to speak in support of one of our Nation's closest allies, Israel.
While the full details of the incident aboard the lead ship that came
in under the flotilla is still under investigation, it is apparent that
the organizers of the flotilla intentionally sought to confront Israeli
security forces and to defy the embargo of Gaza that was established by
Israel and Egypt.
The organizers, the activists, as they called themselves, rejected
means offered by Israel--that has been talked about tonight--to deliver
the humanitarian aid used by internationally accepted organizations,
including the Red Cross, repeatedly, to get that aid to Gaza.
The resulting altercation and loss of life could have been avoided
had the organizers of the flotilla agreed to Israel's repeated offers
for them to dock at one of their ports and allow the overland transfer
of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
{time} 1930
Israel has the right to defend and protect herself. The blockade of
Gaza exists particularly because it needs to prevent arms being
smuggled into Gaza and to protect the citizens of Israel, who have been
the subject of thousands of rocket attacks launched by Hamas since
2005. Hamas, which is recognized internationally as an enemy of Israel
and as a terrorist organization, has as its mission the destruction and
dissolution of the State of Israel and is continuing to be a threat to
the safety and security of the residents of Israel.
The loss of life is tragic, but there is no question that the
organizers of the flotilla were clearly intent on provoking a military
response rather than delivering humanitarian aid; otherwise, they would
have worked with Israel to transfer the supplies to Gaza.
I see there are others who want to speak. Let me just conclude by
saying I am proud to stand with my colleague in support of Israel and
the right that she has to defend and protect herself. We will continue
to work towards peace and security for Israel, and I appreciate being
here tonight.
Yet, in spite of the fact that Hamas is singularly focused on the
destruction of Israel, Israel currently allows delivery of 10,000-
15,000 tons of humanitarian aid a week to the people of Gaza.
The United States will continue to stand by our ally and friend
Israel. And we will continue to work closely with all of our allies
including Israel to suppress violent extremism around the world. We
will continue to work to end hostilities in the Middle East and find a
way to ensure security for the State of Israel and a future of peace
for the Israeli and Palestinian people.
But, we will do so with a keen understanding of the threats against
Israel and the threats against the values we share. I appreciate
joining with my colleagues in standing tonight to support our valued
friend, Israel and its right to defend herself and protect her people.
Mr. WEINER. I thank the gentlewoman. And I really want to apologize
for interrupting you.
Perhaps the most important fighter for Israel in this institution is
the chairwoman of the subcommittee, the gentlelady from New York (Mrs.
Lowey). I'm glad to recognize you.
Mrs. LOWEY. I thank the gentleman for organizing this Special Order
and providing critical details of exactly what happened.
Let there be no doubt in anyone's mind: Israel has the right to
defend herself and the responsibility to protect her citizens from
Hamas, which denies Israel's right to exist and rains rockets down on
its citizens.
While Israel reviews the flotilla incident and considers the best way
to implement the Gaza blockade, we must not forget that failure to
prevent weapons and other illicit materials from reaching Hamas would
be a dereliction of Israel's most basic responsibility to its people. I
stand firmly in support of Israel's right to self-defense, and I am
committed to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge so she can
continue to defend her citizens.
As the blame-Israel-first crowd continues to attack our democratic
ally, Israel, over a host of challenges in the Middle East, I am
reminded of a simple yet powerful concept: ``Words matter.'' The
inflammatory rhetoric surrounding events in the Middle East in recent
weeks and months only begets more hostility and discourages efforts
towards a lasting peace agreement which the people of Israel, the
people of the West Bank, and the people of Gaza deserve; and these
words can incite those encouraging violence against Israel.
Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, our allies in Israel are in
the midst of an ongoing crisis. Last week, this became crystal clear
when so-called ``freedom activists'' attacked IDF soldiers.
Regrettably, nine activists were killed and several Israelis were
injured.
[[Page H4313]]
In the aftermath of this incident, Israel has endured criticisms from
Turkey, the United Nations, and the press. Even the U.S. Administration
has been somewhat muted in its support of Israel's self-defense. These
responses mystify me when I consider the background and reality of
recent events.
Fact: Israel is at war with Hamas. Hamas, which is recognized as a
terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union,
still abides by a charter which calls for the destruction of the State
of Israel. Furthermore, Hamas continues to espouse anti-Semitic
propaganda en masse. Since 2001, thousands of rockets have been
launched from Gaza into civilian-populated areas in southern Israel,
indiscriminately killing and injuring innocent, unsuspecting men,
women, and children. That's why I introduced legislation in 2008 which
highlighted and condemned the ongoing rocket attacks. My resolution
passed the House with strong bi-partisan support, but the rocket
attacks have continued.
Fact: Israel is not at war with the peaceful citizens of Gaza. Israel
fully withdrew its soldiers and citizens from the Gaza Strip in 2005 in
the hopes of attaining peace and creating an environment conducive to
negotiations with the Palestinian Authority. Last week, after Israel
diverted the flotilla to the port of Ashdod for inspection, Israel
proceeded to transport the humanitarian cargo to the Gaza Strip. In
fact, Israel takes a proactive stance in providing humanitarian
supplies to Gaza's civilians.
Fact: Israel did not violate international law by imposing a blockade
on Gaza. Historically, any sovereign nation at war may impose a
blockade. Egypt, for example, had imposed a blockade on Gaza. The U.S.
itself imposed a blockade on the Confederates during the Civil War, on
Cuba during the Cold War, and on Germany and Japan during World War II.
Israel is justified in its attempts to prevent radical organizations
from supplying Hamas with weapons that could eventually harm Israeli
civilians. To further that end, I recently introduced H. Res. 1241,
which supports Israel's right to maintain and construct security fences
along its borders.
Fact: The interception of the Mavi Marmara was not an isolated action
by the Israeli Defense Forces. In recent history, Israel has peacefully
diverted nine other ``humanitarian'' missions, inspected their cargoes,
and delivered the aid to Gaza. The boarding tactics employed last week
were necessary to restrain such a large vessel.
Fact: The main mission of the flotilla was not to provide
humanitarian supplies for civilians in Gaza. The six ships were
sponsored in part by the IHH, an extremist Turkish organization with
ties to terrorist groups such Al-Qaeda. While the IDF peacefully
boarded five of the six vessels that made up the flotilla, activists
and militants aboard the sixth vessel had armed themselves with iron
bars, knives, and clubs.
Fact: Hamas is not Israel's only threat. In 2002, Israel intercepted
a ship in the Red Sea which was carrying 50 tons of weaponry provided
by Iran. In November of last year, Israel intercepted an Iranian ship
carrying hundreds of tons of weaponry to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Iran's
president has repeatedly declared his hatred for Israel while
continuing his pursuit of nuclear weapon development. As a member of
the Iran Sanctions Conference Committee, I will continue to support
prompt, strong action to deter Iran's evil ambitions.
I must ask those who condemn Israel, ``Have you examined the facts?''
It is crucial for the United States to stand beside Israel during these
tumultuous times and I am heartened that more than a dozen senators and
over 60 of my House colleagues have released statements supporting
Israel. I urge the Administration, the media, and American citizens to
join us in defending Israel from false assertions. Moreover, I
encourage the Attorney General to prosecute any American citizen who
aids Hamas. The strategic relationship between our two democratic
governments must withstand the threats and actions of terrorists who
seek to create a rift between our two nations.
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, the long-standing conflict in the
Middle East unfortunately has added a new and tragic event to its
history. I deeply regret the loss of life that occurred on May 31, 2010
when the Israel Defense Force intercepted the flotilla of six ships
that sailed from Turkey to Gaza. Events went horribly awry when nine
people died.
I want to repeat my support for the State of Israel and its right to
defend itself from terrorist attacks in the strongest terms possible.
Since 2005, when Israel disengaged from Gaza, over 10,000 rockets have
been fired on the Jewish State, endangering the lives of thousands of
civilians. Israel's naval blockade of Gaza has helped to ensure that
the supply of munitions and weapons to Hamas, which has controlled the
Gaza Strip since 2007, is kept to the lowest extent possible. The
flotilla incident demonstrates once again that increased pressure must
be placed on Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist and to renounce
terror. In addition, progress must be made in resolving the conflict
between the Israelis and the Palestinians so that they can live in
peace and security.
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, let there be no doubt in anyone's mind:
Israel has the right to defend herself and the responsibility to
protect her citizens from Hamas, which denies Israel's right to exist
and rains rockets down on its citizens.
While Israel reviews the Gaza flotilla incident and considers the
best way to implement the Gaza blockade, we must not forget that
failure to prevent weapons and other illicit materials from reaching
Hamas would be a dereliction of Israel's most basic responsibility to
its people. I stand firmly in support of Israel's right to self-defense
and am committed to maintaining Israel's qualitative military edge so
she can continue to defend her citizens.
As the `Blame Israel First' crowd continues to attack our democratic
ally Israel over a host of challenges in the Middle East, I am reminded
of a simple--yet powerful--concept: words matter. The inflammatory
rhetoric surrounding events in the Middle East in recent weeks and
months only begets more hostility; discourages efforts toward a lasting
peace agreement, which the people of Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza
deserve; and can incite those encouraging violence against Israel.
The Administration focused today on humanitarian and development
assistance to strengthen the Palestinian Authority so it can serve as a
viable partner in peace to Israel. Abu Mazen must make clear to all the
Palestinian people that their security and a prosperous future depends
on rejecting Hamas, recognizing Israel and working with the
international community and Israel to achieve a two state solution.
Despite the current, tense environment, some positive steps have been
taken that will improve Israel's security as well as bolster U.S.
national security interests.
Iran continues to be an existential threat to Israel, the region and
the world, and I am pleased today's agreement by the U.N. Security
Council to impose multilateral sanctions on Iran will hold the regime
accountable for its reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons. I look forward
to Congress finalizing strong bilateral sanctions and urge European
partners and other responsible countries to do the same.
We must continue to strongly support the U.S.-Israel partnership
which provides invaluable benefits to both of our countries national
security.
Mr. McMAHON. Mr. Speaker, Israel is the only democracy in the Middle
East, is our strong ally and true friend. Innocent Israelis endure
attacks far too often.
Unfortunately, following the May 31 flotilla incident, Israel has
come under assault in the media and international community once again.
This has resulted in a particularly sad time for the historically
strong partnership between Israel and Turkey. As a bridge between East
and West, Turkey is a source of dialogue between cultures, particularly
for the Jewish people, who have lived in Turkey for more than five
hundred years. This history has characterized the special relationship
between these two countries since the founding of the State of Israel
in 1948. For this reason, Prime Minister Erdogan's brazen rhetoric,
support for the terrorist group, Hamas, and today's decision to vote
against sanctions in the Security Council are misguided and thoroughly
disappointing.
It is unfortunate that a leader, who once opened his country's doors
to all of its neighbors, now chooses to follow the radical,
fundamentalist maneuvers of groups like the IHH, instead of practicing
the diplomacy for which it has been known.
Despite what Hamas supporters may be claiming now, the May 31, 2010
flotilla incident wasn't about bringing in supplies. It was about
provoking Israel, a country whose people have been subject to countless
terrorist attacks from Hamas supporters in the Gaza Strip. No one
should be led astray, Hamas is a terrorist organization that stands for
the annihilation of Israel and should not and cannot be accepted as a
legitimate voice in Gaza. And, Just as America protects its borders,
Israel--and any other country--has the right to maintain and defend its
own borders.
Since Israel instituted its Gaza blockade, terrorist attacks against
Israeli civilians have dramatically decreased, and it is not hard to
see how the Israeli government would perceive the flotilla's actions as
a direct confrontation. Primarily, though, we need to remain focused on
what really threatens the shared interests of all democratic
countries--a nuclear armed Iran. This is why I believe it is in our
country's best interest to lower tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Turkey has unfortunately disappointed the global community today with
its vote in the UN Security Council, but the passage of the sanctions
package is an overwhelming victory for the United States, Israel and
the overall security of the international community.
[[Page H4314]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
____________________