[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 87 (Thursday, June 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1065]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  THE ISRAEL BLOCKADE AND THE FLOTILLA

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                               speech of

                          HON. J. RANDY FORBES

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 9, 2010

  Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, over the past week and a half, in response 
to the regrettable loss of lives off the coast of Gaza, there has been 
much controversy and speculation over Israel's right to self defense. 
Yet we are reminded again of the situation Israeli families face every 
single day.
  Imagine two young parents living each day going through their mental 
check list of how to protect their children. Is the path to the shelter 
clear? Do they know each other's schedules so they can find them if 
there is a missile strike? Do the schools have their emergency numbers? 
Have they taught the kids enough to react quickly in the event of a 
strike, but not too much to scare them?
  While the kids are at school they worry about hearing sirens of an 
imminent attack from a neighboring territory and are always worried 
that it will come when they can't physically protect their children.
  When this happened in America in the early 1960s these were my 
parents' fears. But with all of these fears they knew that the United 
States would do what was necessary to protect our families and our 
country. It would prevent the weapons from falling into the hands of 
people who wanted to destroy our way of life.
  Like the United States during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Israelis 
have blockaded the source of the threat to their homeland.
  America was able to protect itself, and we must ensure that Israel 
has the ability to do the same.

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