[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 95 (Wednesday, June 23, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H4713-H4716]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            CALLING FOR RELEASE OF ISRAELI SOLDIER BY HAMAS

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1359) calling for the immediate and 
unconditional release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit held captive by 
Hamas, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1359

       Whereas Congress previously expressed its concern for 
     missing Israeli soldiers in Public Law 106-89 (113 Stat. 
     1305; November 8, 1999), which required the Secretary of 
     State to raise the status of missing Israeli soldiers

[[Page H4714]]

     with appropriate government officials of Syria, Lebanon, the 
     Palestinian Authority, and other governments in the region, 
     and to submit to Congress reports on those efforts and any 
     subsequent discovery of relevant information;
       Whereas the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 107 on 
     March 13, 2007, regarding Gilad Shalit and other Israeli 
     soldiers attacked and captured by terrorists;
       Whereas Israel completed its withdrawal from Gaza on 
     September 12, 2005;
       Whereas on June 25, 2006, contrary to international 
     humanitarian standards and the most basic standards of 
     humanitarian conduct, the Foreign Terrorist Organization 
     Hamas, together with allied terrorists, crossed into Israel 
     to attack a military post, killing two soldiers and wounding 
     and kidnapping a third, Gilad Shalit, in a blatantly 
     extortionate effort to coerce the Government of Israel;
       Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian 
     standards and the most basic standards of humanitarian 
     conduct, has prevented access to Gilad Shalit by competent 
     medical personnel and representatives of the International 
     Committee of the Red Cross;
       Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian 
     standards and the most basic standards of humanitarian 
     conduct, has failed to provide Gilad Shalit the humane 
     treatment to which all captives are entitled as a fundamental 
     human right;
       Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian 
     standards and the most basic standards of humanitarian 
     conduct, has refused to provide Gilad Shalit with regular 
     contact with his family or any other party, or to allow his 
     family to know where he is being held;
       Whereas Hamas, contrary to international humanitarian 
     standards and the most basic standards of humanitarian 
     conduct, has compelled Gilad Shalit to appear in video and 
     voice recordings intended to extort and coerce the Government 
     of Israel;
       Whereas Hamas, contrary to the most basic standards of 
     humanitarian conduct, has staged plays and produced cartoons 
     and animated movies that have mocked Shalit, his captivity, 
     and his family, and have promised further kidnappings of 
     Israeli soldiers; and
       Whereas Gilad Shalit has been held in captivity by Hamas 
     for almost 4 years: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) demands that--
       (A) Hamas immediately and unconditionally release Israeli 
     soldier Gilad Shalit; and
       (B) Hamas accede to international humanitarian standards 
     and the most basic standards of humanitarian conduct by--
       (i) allowing prompt access to Gilad Shalit by competent 
     medical personnel and representatives of the International 
     Committee of the Red Cross;
       (ii) providing Gilad Shalit the humane treatment all 
     captives are entitled to as a fundamental human right;
       (iii) facilitating regular communication by Gilad Shalit 
     with his family and allowing his family to know where he is 
     being held; and
       (iv) ceasing to compel Gilad Shalit to appear in video and 
     voice recordings intended to extort and coerce the Government 
     of Israel;
       (2) expresses--
       (A) its vigorous support and unwavering commitment to the 
     welfare, security, and survival of the State of Israel as a 
     Jewish and democratic state within recognized and secure 
     borders;
       (B) its strong support and deep interest in achieving a 
     resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the 
     creation of a democratic, viable, and independent Palestinian 
     state living in peace alongside of the State of Israel;
       (C) its ongoing concern and sympathy for the family of 
     Gilad Shalit and the families of all other missing Israeli 
     soldiers; and
       (D) its full commitment to continue to seek the immediate 
     and unconditional release of Gilad Shalit and other missing 
     Israeli soldiers;
       (3) recalls--
       (A) the barbaric attack on and kidnapping of the bodies of 
     Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev on July 12, 2006, by the 
     Iran-supported terrorist group Hezbollah; and
       (B) the missing Israeli soldiers Zecharya Baumel, Zvi 
     Feldman, and Yehuda Katz, missing since June 11, 1982, Ron 
     Arad, who was captured on October 16, 1986, Guy Hever, last 
     seen on August 17, 1997, and Majdy Halabi, last seen on May 
     24, 2005; and
       (4) condemns--
       (A) Hamas for the grossly immoral cross-border attack and 
     kidnapping of Gilad Shalit; and
       (B) Iran and Syria, the primary state sponsors and patrons 
     of Hamas, for their ongoing support for international 
     terrorism.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Ackerman) and the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to thank my good friend, the chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Committee, for his support for this resolution and for its 
consideration by the House today.
  Madam Speaker, Gilad Shalit is not an American. He is an Israeli 
soldier who has been held captive by Hamas for 4 years.

                              {time}  1400

  His parents are not Americans. I don't know that he's ever even been 
to the United States. But I would contend that, nonetheless, he's one 
of us. Why? Most simply, because he is a soldier serving in the army of 
a fellow democracy, a long-standing ally that is fighting a war of 
survival against an Iranian-backed radical Islamist terror organization 
explicitly committed to the destruction of the Jewish State and the 
annihilation of all Jews in Israel.
  Some may doubt that such shocking, vicious bigotry is really possible 
in the year 2010. It's not merely possible, and it's not an 
overstatement. It's reality. On June 11, not even 2 weeks ago, Hamas 
authorities in Gaza broadcast the following ceremony--and this is a 
quote directly from that sermon: ``Whoever believes that our battle 
with the Jews and the crusaders has subsided or is dormant is living in 
delusions. The Jews are convinced that their annihilation and the 
destruction of their State will never be accomplished by secular, 
reactionary, Pan-Arabic, or Baathist regimes. Their annihilation and 
the destruction of their State will only be achieved through Islam.'' 
It goes on. But that was the basis of the Hamas sermon. That's the 
Hamas world view. And they're not ashamed of it. We shouldn't hesitate 
to believe them when they say they hate Jews and they're trying to 
destroy Israel and they want to create an Islamic theocracy in 
Palestine. Just look at what they've done in Gaza.
  For those who believe in universal human rights and religious rights 
and freedom, Hamas is your enemy. If you believe in peace and two 
states for two peoples, these are your foes. If you believe kidnapping 
and extortion are inexcusable and detonating a bomb full of nails and 
ball bearings inside a city bus or restaurant is barbaric, these are 
your adversaries. If you believe that firing rockets at homes and 
kindergartens filled with young kids is absolutely indefensible, and 
that teaching hate to children is monstrous, these are your opponents. 
If you support the Palestinian Authority and President Abbas and Prime 
Minister Fayad are Palestinian's best chance of statehood, Hamas is the 
opposition. If you support a democratic Jewish State of Israel and want 
to see Prime Minister Netanyahu take chances for peace, Hamas is the 
enemy desperate to ensure that he never will. If you want the United 
States to be active in helping Israelis and Palestinians to make peace, 
Hamas are the people working against our every effort.
  Gilad Shalit is just one soldier, but his captivity tells you 
everything you need to know about Hamas. As the resolution makes clear, 
contrary to both international humanitarian law and the most basic 
standards of human conduct, Hamas has prevented all access to Gilad 
Shalit by competent medical personnel and the representatives of the 
International Committee of the Red Cross. They've done this time and 
time again. And, Madam Speaker, they've just done it again today. 
They've denied him the humane treatment to which any captive is 
entitled; they've barred any communication by him with his family; and 
they've compelled him to appear on propaganda videos. Each of these 
unconscionable choices demonstrates the amoral and depraved character 
of Hamas.
  These allegedly religious militants are nothing but thugs. Nothing 
more. They hold up all kinds of banners, and they champion all kinds of 
causes, and they claim all kinds of mandates. But their real goal is 
power and their true intention is a disruption of the State of Israel.
  Against their enterprise of darkness and hatred and bloodshed, we 
need to stand up with both Palestinians and Israelis for a different 
vision and a different future--one where Israelis and Palestinians live 
side by side in peace; where the City of Jerusalem is a city of 
coexistence and tolerance; where the lost and the missing--all of 
them--all of them--are returned to their families and their people. It 
is this vision that motivates us, that mobilizes us to work so hard to 
achieve peace for others. And it is within this vision of a better 
future that we keep faith with

[[Page H4715]]

our allies in the State of Israel and with the Shalit family as they 
wait for the return of their lost son.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Since its creation over 6 decades ago, our ally Israel has been under 
siege from those who seek its destruction. Israel's enemies, refusing 
to accept the existence of the Jewish State, have invaded Israel's 
borders and sought to wipe it off the map. They have launched missiles 
at Israeli civilians. They have sent homicide bombers to massacre 
innocent Israelis on buses, in schools, in synagogues, in restaurants, 
in hotels. They have desecrated wedding celebrations and Passover 
seders with acts of mass murder, turning days of joy into days of 
mourning. And they have killed or kidnapped Israeli soldiers.
  These bloody acts were taken not to build a better life for the 
future of the Palestinians, but to wipe out any future for the Israelis 
and to destroy the Jewish State. Of course, at present, the greatest 
threats to Israel's security and its very existence are posed by the 
rogue regimes of Iran and Syria, as well as by their violent extremist 
proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah. This is the context for this 
important resolution before us today.
  On June 25, 2006, as part of its longstanding war against the Jewish 
State, Hamas crossed into Israel and attacked an Israeli military post, 
killing two soldiers and kidnapping Gilad Shalit, who was then just 19 
years old. For the last 4 years, Hamas has held Staff Sergeant Shalit 
hostage, denying him access to his family, access by competent medical 
personnel, as well as representatives of the International Committee of 
the Red Cross. Hamas has forced young Shalit to appear in audio 
recordings and video recordings used to put pressure on Israel, and has 
mocked Shalit, mocked his family and his captivity in plays and 
cartoons and animated movies. Reports indicate that Shalit's health has 
declined as the result of his captivity.
  Madam Speaker, Hamas, its fellow violent extremist group, Hezbollah, 
and their state sponsors not only are at war with Israel; they seek the 
destruction of the United States as well. Ahmadinejad has spoken of ``a 
world without America or Zionism,'' stating that ``you should know that 
this slogan, this goal, can certainly be achieved.'' And the Iranian 
regime is no stranger to taking hostages, including the 52 American 
hostages that Tehran held captive for 444 days. So when we consider 
Hamas's holding of Gilad Shalit in captivity, we must recognize this 
situation is part of the broader threat posed to both the United States 
and to Israel.
  Madam Speaker, I have met with Staff Sergeant Shalit's father, who 
gave me his son's dog tags. And as a parent, I can only imagine the 
agony that the Shalit family is enduring. Indeed, anguish over Gilad 
Shalit's plight is felt by millions of Israelis who have parents, 
siblings, spouses, or children who are serving in the Israeli Defense 
Forces and who have spent many anxious nights hoping and praying for 
the safe return of their loved one. It resonates directly with many of 
us who have had children and other family members and friends who, in 
the service of our Nation, have been in harm's way.
  As Israel continues to seek Gilad Shalit's freedom, we in the United 
States must continue to stand with our indispensable ally. For all of 
these reasons, Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 1359, which reaffirms our demand for Gilad Shalit's 
immediate and unconditional release.
  I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member of the 
Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, Mr. Ackerman and Mr. 
Burton, for introducing this resolution. I ask that the House join us 
in voting in favor of this resolution and in support of further 
measures to address the comprehensive threat posed on our Nation and to 
our ally Israel by Iran, by Syria, and by their militant proxies.

                              {time}  1410

  Among the steps the United States should take is to stop the failed 
policies of engagement with the Syrian and Iranian regimes which have 
not advanced our interests but has lent those dictatorships undeserved 
legitimacy. We should also continue to stand unequivocally with our 
ally Israel and oppose all efforts to deny Israel its sovereign right 
to self-defense--the very right that Staff Sergeant Gilad Shalit was 
exercising when he was kidnapped by Hamas.
  Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. I want to thank the gentlewoman from Florida, the 
distinguished ranking member of the committee, for her statement and 
for her support.
  Madam Speaker, now it's my pleasure to yield such time as she may 
consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada, Shelley Berkley, a 
distinguished and respected member of our committee.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I want to thank my very good and dear and 
cherished friend from New York for yielding and for bringing much-
needed attention to this issue by introducing this resolution which I 
proudly cosponsored.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today along with my colleagues to mark a very 
sad occasion: The fourth anniversary of the kidnapping of Israeli 
soldier Gilad Shalit. If the world needs evidence of Hamas' cruelty, 
they need look no further than the kidnapping of this young soldier 
serving on the Israeli side of the Gaza border. Defying any standards 
of human decency and international law, Hamas has held him prisoner 
without access to a doctor or to the Red Cross. They have denied him 
contact with any outside party or even his family, who have no idea 
where this young man is being held. Hamas has even forced him to appear 
in a video that was used to pressure the Israeli Government into making 
concessions in exchange for his release.
  The conditions of his detainment are illegal, they are deplorable, 
and they are immoral. For some reason, though, the world bombards 
Israel with criticism for the simple act of defending its citizens, 
while Hamas continues to violate human rights day after day. It is 
unjust, and it ultimately puts all peace-loving people at risk. Where 
is the U.N. with its outrage? Where is the Arab world? Where are our 
European allies? The world leaps to condemn Israel whenever it is put 
in the untenable situation of defending itself against terrorism. Where 
is the outrage against the continuous inhuman behavior of Hamas, a 
recognized terrorist organization? Where is the outrage against Hamas 
as it continues to hold Gilad Shalit, a young man just doing his duty? 
Just this week, Israel took enormous risks by easing their necessary 
and legal blockade of Gaza. It is time--indeed, Madam Speaker, it is 
well past time--for Hamas to show some human decency and release Gilad 
Shalit back to his family.
  I am the mother of a son named Sam who is the exact same age as Gilad 
Shalit. I can only imagine what that mother goes through day after day, 
week after week, month after month, year after year as she has 
absolutely no contact and no idea how her son is being treated, where 
he's being held, and what his condition is. Shame. The shame of it all. 
It's disgusting. I urge support for this resolution.


                             General Leave

  Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on the resolution that is now under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. Richardson). Is there objection to the 
request of the gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
support for H. Res. 1359, which calls for the immediate and 
unconditional release of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier held captive 
by Hamas since June 25, 2006. Today, 4 years later, Shalit remains a 
prisoner and Hamas has denied him medical treatment and access to his 
family. I agree with the resolution's sponsors that his imprisonment is 
not only a violation of international law and an affront to the 
international community, but has also impeded the peace process between 
Israel and Palestine.
  The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has caused tragedy and loss of 
enormous proportions on both sides. I know that all of my colleagues 
oppose further loss of life and will support a lasting peace in this 
region. I am hopeful for

[[Page H4716]]

the day when two states--an Israeli and a Palestinian state--can 
peacefully exist side by side. Until that day, both sides must work 
towards peace and must refrain from aggressive actions. The kidnapping 
and ongoing inhumane treatment of Gilad Shalit has exacerbated tensions 
in the region, causing heartache for Sgt. Shalit's family and country, 
and making peace negotiations more difficult.
  I stand for peace and human rights and am proud to support this 
resolution. I can see no justification for Sgt. Shalit's continued 
imprisonment and urge Hamas to release Sgt. Shalit. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting peace and human rights by 
supporting this important resolution.
  Mr. GRAYSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to call for the immediate 
and unconditional release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. On June 25, 
2006, exactly 4 years ago this Friday, Gilad was kidnapped by Hamas 
terrorists within Israeli territory, near the Karem Shalom crossing. 
This kidnapping was a part of an unprovoked and organized military 
operation by Hamas terrorists who continue to hold Gilad captive in 
Gaza.
  Throughout Gilad's captivity, the International Red Cross has 
requested to send representatives to assess his conditions of detention 
and treatment, as well as to provide medical attention to Gilad. Just 
recently, Hamas once again refused to give the Red Cross access to 
check on Gilad's well being in accordance with international law. 
Pierre Dorbes, deputy head of the International Committee of the Red 
Cross in Israel and the Territories stated that, `` . . . we have been 
able to visit nearly everyone detained in connection to this conflict, 
with the exception of Gilad Shalit.''
  As negotiations for his release continue, it is important to 
recognize the efforts of Gilad Shalit's family and friends, 
particularly his mother Aviva and his father Noam to secure his 
release. I can only imagine the heartache and frustration that they 
feel as they work to help secure their son's freedom.
  Madam Speaker, I along with my colleagues continue to call for the 
unconditional release of Gilad Shalit. I urge President Obama to 
continue to make Gilad's release a priority for his administration as 
he works with all parties to resolve the ongoing conflict in the 
region.
  Mr. McMAHON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 1359, a 
resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of 
Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit held captive by Hamas.
  On June 25, 2006, Hamas captured 19-year-old Israeli corporal Gilad 
Shalit on the southern Israeli side of the Gaza Strip. This inherent 
and blatant disrespect for standards of international conduct was a 
deliberate form of extortion meant to coerce the Israeli government to 
release Palestinian prisoners.
  Hamas has furthered the injustice by denying Shalit access to medical 
care from the International Red Cross or treatment as a prisoner of 
war. Shalit has been explicitly denied the most basic humane treatment, 
and we cannot allow for this abhorrent conduct to persist.
  Hamas has continually utilized terrorist cells to attack Israeli 
soldiers even though Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza in 2005. 
This callous disregard for international humanitarian law is deeply 
troubling.
  I am unwavering in my support for the security and welfare of the 
democratic nation of Israel, and the creation of a mutually acceptable 
two state solution. This cannot happen unless Hamas immediately and 
unconditionally releases Shalit and accepts the right for Israel to 
exist and lays down their arms for good .
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives 
to join me today in recognizing our dedication to the release of Shalit 
and the prospect of peace and democracy in the region by supporting 
this resolution.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to support H. Res. 
1359 and mark the 4-year anniversary of the capture of IDF soldier 
Gilad Shalit. On June 25, 2006, Shalit was taken in a cross-border 
raid, remains held in Gaza, and for the past 4 years, he has been 
denied virtually all contact with the outside world.
  When he was kidnapped, he was only 19 years old, the age of an 
average American college student. But instead of being able to serve 
his country and continue with his bright future, he has been held a 
prisoner for 4 years.
  The plight of this soldier must not be forgotten. I want to honor the 
sacrifice of this young man and his family who wait every day for news 
of their son's circumstances. I have met the Shalit family and I have 
seen the pain in their eyes and the pleading in their voices. The 
Shalit family has also met with many communities across the United 
States, urging people to remember their son and speak out on his 
behalf. Today, I join the communities in Palm Beach and Broward County 
in sending a message to Gilad Shalit's captors: Let Gilad Shalit go.
  As Israel faces dangerous threats from throughout the region and 
still makes unprecedented sacrifices for peace, America stands with 
Israel in its hope for the release of Gilad Shalit. American families 
and Israeli families are united in the hope that the Shalit family 
should suffer no longer.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. 
Res. 1359, a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional 
release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
  I would like to thank Congressman Ackerman for introducing this 
important resolution, of which I am a cosponsor, and to commend him and 
Chairman Berman for their leadership on this critical issue.
  On Friday, Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will have spent 4 years in 
captivity. Since June 2006, Shalit has been held by Hamas and denied 
the humane treatment mandated by international law, including regular 
communication with his family and visits by the International Red 
Cross. He has been forced to appear in Hamas propaganda, intended to 
extort the Israeli government. Shalit was 19 years old at the time of 
his abduction.
  Human beings should not be used as bargaining chips. Gilad Shalit 
must be immediately and unconditionally released, and all prisoners 
must be afforded the basic protections of international humanitarian 
law.
  I am also proud to support this resolution because it expresses 
Congressional support for both the Jewish state of Israel, which must 
have recognized and secure borders, and a democratic, viable, and 
independent Palestinian state. I strongly believe that a negotiated, 
two-state solution offers Israelis and Palestinians alike the best 
prospect for long-term security and stability.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this 
resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Gilad 
Shalit.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Ackerman) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1359, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Madam Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that 
a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is 
not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

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