[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Pages 18890-18893]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       FREE THE ISRAELI SOLDIERS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Klein) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great solemnity 
to mark the 1-year anniversary of the killing of three Israeli soldiers 
and the kidnapping of two others, Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser. On 
July 12, 2006, Hezbollah terrorists crossed into Israel and attacked 
two IDF armored jeeps as they were patrolling Israel's northern border.
  Eldad is 26, born in Kiryat Motzkin. I met Eldad's brother, Benny, in 
Israel last summer, just weeks after his brother's kidnapping. He 
begged us to spread the message back to the United States that we must 
do everything possible to bring the missing soldiers home. Eldad's 
family and friends pray every day for Eldad's safety and his swift 
return. They wrote of him:
  ``One of the qualities that makes Eldad so special is the kindness of 
his heart, never hesitating to donate and offer aid to anyone in need. 
He always likes to stay informed and is constantly involved in 
everything that is happening around him.''
  Udi is 31 from Nahariya. I met Udi's mother just a few months ago 
when she visited Members of Congress on Capitol Hill. She came to raise 
awareness about the plight of her son and others who were kidnapped. 
Udi had just married Karnit when he was captured, and his wife had to 
spend their 1-year anniversary alone, wondering where her husband was 
and what condition he was in. His family and friends wrote:
  ``He's a loving, caring person, always ready to offer a helping hand 
in any situation. He is a man of principles and values, knowledgeable 
in many varied subjects.''
  Unfortunately, Eldad and Udi are not alone among Israel's missing 
soldiers. Three weeks before their capture, Hamas kidnapped IDF soldier 
Gilad

[[Page 18891]]

Shalit. 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.
  I rise tonight to make sure that the plight of these soldiers is not 
forgotten. I rise to honor the sacrifices of these soldiers and their 
families who wait every day for news of their circumstances.
  Here in my hand I have a copy of their dogtags. The United Jewish 
Communities around the country delivered a copy of the dogtags to every 
Member of Congress to help raise awareness that it has been 1 year 
since the families have heard from their loved ones. It has been 1 
whole year since they have seen their husband, son, and brother. These 
families have heard not one word from the captors about whether they 
are alive or okay.
  I join the families of these soldiers and all freedom-loving 
Americans in calling for the immediate and unconditional release of 
Eldad, Udi, and Gilad. America stands with Israel in its refusal to let 
these soldiers be forgotten. Let their dogtags on the floor of the 
United States House of Representatives serve as a symbol of unwavering 
vigilance and support. American families and Israeli families are 
united in the hope that these families should suffer no longer.
  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, one year ago today, Hezbollah militants 
executed a brazen cross-border attack on an Israeli patrol that killed 
three and kidnapped Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. 
Weeks before, on June 25, Hamas terrorists infiltrated Israel from 
Gaza, killing two and abducting Corporal Gilad Shalit.
  Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to travel to the region with 
Speaker Nancy Pelosi. With each Arab leader our delegation pressed the 
plight of these soldiers. The Speaker personally handed their dog tags 
to Syrian President Assad and urged him to act on a humanitarian basis 
to achieve their swift and unconditional return.
  Sadly, these three brave soldiers join a longer list of MIAs that 
includes Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz, Zvi Feldman, taken hostage in 
1982, and Ron Arad, an Israeli military pilot taken captive in 1986. As 
long as they are missing, their families, the people of Israel, and 
supporters of Israel around the world hold a constant vigil praying for 
their return. I want to recognize the dedicated work of the United 
Jewish Communities, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and a 
multitude of synagogues, camps and schools around the country for their 
efforts to make sure these soldiers are not forgotten.
  ``Leave no soldier behind,'' is the mantra of many armies. In a 
nation as small as Israel, where military service is mandatory, the 
commitment to rescue POWs and MIAs is a national imperative. It is our 
responsibility as a fellow democracy and steadfast ally to do all we 
can to help win their freedom.
  Mr. ACKERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to call the House's attention to a 
very sad anniversary. One year ago today, Hezbollah terrorists crossed 
into Israel to attack Israeli troops patrolling the Israeli side of the 
border with Lebanon. They killed three Israeli soldiers, wounded two 
others and kidnaped Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. Only a few days 
earlier, on June 25, 2006, Hamas terrorists likewise crossed into 
Israel and attacked an IDF position, killing two soldiers, wounding a 
third and kidnapping Gildad Shalit.
  Both of these vicious terrorist organizations, which constantly 
proclaim their adherence to religion and morality, have denied these 
three Israeli soldiers contact with the Red Cross or Red Crescent, or 
direct contact with their families. Despite the recent release of an 
audio tape, it is not in fact known if these three men are currently 
alive, if they are injured or if they are well. Not content merely to 
hold these men as hostages, Hamas and Hezbollah insist on torturing 
their families with the agony of not knowing about the true condition 
of their loved ones.
  This is true measure of the faith and morality of these terrorists. 
In the name of religion they inflict agony. In the name of the sacred 
they perpetrate barbarism. In the name of their faith they degrade 
other human beings.
  Thus they show the true content of their beliefs. Thus they show the 
world what their vainglorious proclamations amount to: cynical cruelty 
and cold calculation.
  These terrorist groups have sought to transform Gilad, Ehud and Eldad 
into something they are not: bargaining chips or pawns, a kind of 
political chattel. Things that can be swapped for favors or sacrificed 
on a whim. These three men are not things. They are human beings. They 
have names and they have families. They have rights as captured 
soldiers and they have rights as human beings.
  The House has expressed itself clearly on this matter on March 13th, 
when it passed H. Res. 107, the bipartisan resolution I introduced 
demanding the release of these three captives and condemning both the 
terrorists and their Syrian and Iranian sponsors for their criminal and 
indecent behavior.
  We can not compel Hamas and Hezbollah to release Gilad, Ehud and 
Eldad any more than we can force them to understand the difference 
between right and wrong. You can not disgrace someone incapable of 
shame. But we can stand by our ally, the State of Israel. We can 
express our sympathy and our concern for the captives and for their 
families.
  We can let the perpetrators of this barbarism know that we have not 
forgotten what they have done, and what they are continuing to do. We 
can bear witness. And we can add our voices to all those saying 
``Enough. Enough. Let these men go home.''
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I call for the unconditional release of 
Israeli soldiers still held hostage by terrorists. Exactly one year ago 
today, Hezbollah terrorists entered territory that unambiguously 
belongs to Israel under international law, launching an assault into 
Israel's north that killed three soldiers on patrol, wounded two, and 
took two others hostage.
  The two hostages, Ehud ``Udi'' Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, were 
injured in the attack, and yet Hezbollah refuses to allow 
representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross to 
visit them, a flagrant breach of international law and practice. They 
have also refused to give the hostages' families any indication that 
their loved ones are alive. This is particularly worrisome, because 
reports have surfaced suggesting Goldwasser and Regev could have been 
critically injured in the attack in which they were taken captive.
  Only seventeen days earlier, fundamentalist thugs launched a similar 
raid out of the Gaza Strip to take hostage another young Israeli 
soldier on patrol in Israel's south, Corporal Gilad Shalit. He has now 
been held hostage in Gaza for more than a year. Just two weeks ago a 
recording of him pleading for help was released on a Hamas website. In 
this recording, Shalit says that his health is deteriorating and he is 
in pressing need of long-term hospitalization. It should come as no 
surprise that his terrorist captors have failed to allow him adequate 
medical treatment.
  Mr. Speaker, Hezbollah and Hamas are clearly to blame for the 
outbreak of violence in the Middle East last summer. They committed 
acts of war by kidnapping Israeli soldiers who were conducting regular 
patrol missions on their own side of the border.
  And while last summer's war has receded somewhat into the past, the 
initial causes for the violence have not yet been addressed. Chief 
among these is the fact that these three Israeli hostages remain in 
captivity and that Hezbollah and Hamas remain committed to Israel's 
violent destruction. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, 
which imposed a ceasefire on Israel's Lebanon front, emphasized, and I 
quote, ``the need to address the causes that have given rise to the 
current crisis, including the unconditional release of the abducted 
Israeli soldiers.'' Unfortunately, that condition remains totally 
unfulfilled.
  Mr. Speaker, this House has not been silent on the plight of these 
victims of terrorism. Shortly after Udi Goldwasser's young wife visited 
Congress at the start of this year and pleaded for our help, we swiftly 
passed H. Res. 107, which was sponsored by my good friend Congressman 
Gary Ackerman, the distinguished chairman of the Foreign Affairs 
Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. This bill called for 
the unconditional release of the three kidnapped soldiers and condemned 
the culpable terrorist groups for their despicable actions. The Senate 
passed a similar bill, which was introduced by Senator Hillary Clinton.
  Speaker Pelosi has played a particularly admirable role in the global 
effort to free these three men. When she met with Syrian President 
Assad in Damascus just this past April, she presented him with a 
replica of the three hostages' ``dog tags'' as a means of urging him to 
secure their release from these terrorist groups that Damascus has long 
hosted and supported. She also made crystal-clear to President Assad 
that under no circumstances could bilateral relations with the United 
States improve until Damascus showed its willingness to cease 
sponsoring terror.
  To commemorate the one year anniversary of the kidnapping of 
Goldwasser and Regev by Hezbollah, the United Jewish Communities 
recently organized a campaign to send copies of these dog tags to every 
member of Congress. I commend them for their admirable

[[Page 18892]]

and thoughtful activism drawing attention to the ongoing plight of the 
three captives.
  Mr. Speaker, Israel is a steadfast ally of the United States, and it 
is on the frontline of the war against terrorism. Israeli soldiers face 
such threats every day, much like our own inspiring and steadfast 
soldiers who are currently serving in harm's way in places like 
Afghanistan and Iraq. It is incumbent upon us to give our ally in this 
fight our steadfast support in the face of such terrorist predations.
  Mr. Speaker, many of us have been active in efforts over the years to 
convince our friends in the EU to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist 
group. A very few EU states do so on a national basis, but the EU 
collectively continues to view Hezbollah strictly as a political party. 
This is an absurd anomaly, and I urge our EU friends and allies to 
reconsider this policy on this sad one-year anniversary. I know of no 
other ``political party'' in the world that kidnaps and holds 
hostages--a fairly remarkable innovation in democratic politics. (In 
contrast to its policy regarding Hezbollah, the EU does designate Hamas 
as a terrorist group. I am pleased by that, but the distinction between 
Hamas killers and Hezbollah killers is frankly lost on me.)
  Mr. Speaker, I have the following message for the terrorists who are 
holding the three Israeli soldiers: Release these innocent hostages, 
and do so without delay. Should you not, the civilized world--and 
certainly this body--will not remain silent.
  Mr. HOYER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for the immediate and 
unconditional release of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev, Israeli 
soldiers who, as of today, have now been held captive by Hezbollah 
terrorists for a full year.
  On July 12, 2006, a month-long military conflict between Israel and 
Hezbollah was instigated when the armored humvee Ehud and Eldad were 
riding in was bombarded by Hezbollah rockets.
  Ehud and Eldad were captured during the course of this unprovoked 
attack and have been held hostage ever since.
  In February of this year, I had the pleasure of welcoming Ehud 
Goldwasser's energetic wife, Karnit, to the U.S. Capitol. She told me 
how trying it has been to live without the ``the love of her life'' and 
how her once bright hopes of raising a family with Ehud are now in 
peril due to the cowardly and illegal acts of a terrorist organization 
whose only goal is the destruction of her homeland. It is my hope that 
when I meet with Karnit again in August, Ehud will once again be by her 
side.
  Terrorist acts like the kidnapping of Ehud and Eldad are not military 
actions between warring nations. They are despicable crimes that tear 
families apart and shroud entire communities in grief and suffering. As 
the leader of the free and democratic world, the United States has a 
responsibility to condemn such attacks whenever and wherever they 
occur, and to help advance peaceful solutions to ongoing crises 
whenever they can be reached.
  To that end, I stand by Karnit Goldwasser, I stand by Israel, and I 
stand by like-minded activists throughout the world in calling for the 
immediate and unconditional release of Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad 
Regev--courageous individuals who answered Israel's call to serve and 
who have sacrificed greatly in fighting for the democratic principles 
for which our two countries stand.
  Mr. GARRETT of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker, it's been almost one year now 
and many have forgotten about the three Israeli soldiers kidnapped by 
Hamas and Hezbollah: Ehud Goldwasser, Eldad Regev, and Gilal Shalit. 
But today thousands who will not forget this injustice rallied in front 
of the United Nations calling for these three captives to be returned 
to their families and for the Security Council Resolutions to be 
honored by all parties--not just Israel.
  Hezbollah seems to have forgotten that last year's hostilities ended 
only after there were promises regarding the return of the Israeli men. 
This just goes to reinforce the fact that terrorist organizations 
cannot be negotiated with.
  Though Security Council Resolution 1701 called for Hezbollah to 
disarm and return the soldiers, they remain in Lebanon and not even 
international organizations such as the Red Cross have been able to see 
them and be assured of their fair treatment. Israel has demonstrated 
its commitment to the Resolution by ceasing hostilities and pulling 
back its soldiers, but yet again they are dealing with opponents who 
show disrespect to all and whose word cannot be trusted.
  We stand together with Israel to call again for the unconditional 
release of these three men. We pray for their safe return and for peace 
between Israel and its neighbors. They will not be forgotten by their 
families, by their nation, or by the American people and this Congress.
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call for the immediate 
and unconditional release of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, Israeli 
soldiers held captive by Hezbollah for the past year. On July 12, 2006, 
Hezbollah terrorists crossed into Israel and attacked two Israel 
Defense Forces (IDF) armored jeeps as they were patrolling Israel's 
northern border. One year ago today, those terrorists killed 3 Israeli 
soldiers and kidnapped Eldad and Ehud, as mentioned above.
  We mourn the passing of the 3 Israeli soldiers who were killed a year 
ago, and to honor their legacies, we must continue in our work to 
secure the release of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser. As their 
families pray for their swift return, the United States must continue 
to forge ahead in our efforts to bring about their release.
  Mr. Speaker, Hezbollah has tried to make Eldad and Ehud into 
bargaining chips. But they are not political chess pieces, things that 
can be swapped for political gain. They are human beings with names, 
lives, and families who miss them. They have families who wait every 
day for news of their circumstances, who have waited every day for a 
year now without receiving word that Eldad and Ehud are safe.
  Unfortunately, Eldad and Ehud are not alone among Israel's missing 
soldiers. Three weeks before their capture, Hamas kidnapped IDF 
soldier, Gilad Shalit. The Shalit family has met with many communities 
across the United States, urging people to remember their son and speak 
out on his behalf.
  To honor those who died a year ago, and the soldiers held captive, we 
must let the perpetrators of these terrible acts know that we have not 
forgotten what they have done. In March we passed H. Res. 107, calling 
for the immediate and unconditional release of Israeli soldiers held 
captive by Hamas and Hezbollah, and now we continue to express our 
deepest sympathies to the families of the missing soldiers, and we must 
pledge to continue the fight to bring them home.
  I join with those across Israel and the United States to call for the 
immediate and unconditional release of Eldad, Ehud and Gilad. As the 
leader of the democratic world, America stands with Israel in its 
refusal to let these soldiers be forgotten.
  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, I rise in recognition of the 1-year 
anniversary of the kidnapping of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser, two 
soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force who were kidnapped by Hezbollah 
operatives on the border with Lebanon on July 12, 2006. Their 
kidnapping came only a few weeks after the abduction of Gilad Shalit, 
an IDF officer seized by Hamas militants on June 25, 2006, during a 
horrific attack near Kibbutz Kerem Shalom, on the border of the Gaza 
Strip.
  These three brave young men are among eight Israeli soldiers 
kidnapped or missing in action over the last 25 years. Staff Sergeants 
Zachary Baumel, Zvi Feldman, and Yehuda Katz have been missing since 
June 11, 1982, after a battle at Sultan Yakoub in Lebanon. Major Ron 
Arad was captured on October 16, 1986, when his aircraft was shot down 
inside Lebanon. Israeli solider Guy Hever disappeared on August 17, 
1997, from an army base in the southern Golan Heights.
  Since my first day in the United States Congress, I have made 
advocating for the safe return of all Israeli soldiers a priority. 
During an official trip to Israel last July, I met with Benny Regev, 
brother of Eldad Regev, to express my deepest sympathy and concern and 
assure him of America's commitment to securing his brother's release. 
Today, I urge my colleagues to join me in renewing our commitment to 
secure the release of all Israeli prisoners of war and to hold those 
individuals, organizations, and governments involved in these 
abductions accountable for their violation of international law. In 
marking the anniversary of the kidnapping of these brave soldiers, we 
should also acknowledge the sacrifice of their families and of the 
Israeli people as they continue to defend their borders in the ongoing 
struggle for regional stability and peace.
  As Israel's strongest ally and friend, the United States must 
continue to support Israel's right to self defense, and advocate for 
the safe return of all of Israeli soldiers missing in action and being 
held as prisoners of war.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, today marks the one year anniversary of the 
kidnapping of Israeli soldiers Eldad Regev and Udi Goldwasser by 
Hezbollah, in a brazen and unprovoked cross-border attack that also 
resulted in the deaths of three other members of the Israel Defense 
Forces.
  Only weeks earlier, Hamas abducted another Israeli soldier, Gilad 
Shalit, and killed two others in an attack carried out on Israeli 
territory adjacent to the Gaza Strip.
  These three brave soldiers--kidnapped by terrorists while conducting 
routine duties inside Israel--have endured over a year of captivity.

[[Page 18893]]

  They have endured a year without proper medical care.
  They have endured a year without their loved ones.
  I rise today to let the Shalit, Goldwasser and Regev families know 
that we stand with them in this very difficult time, and that we are 
all praying for the safe and timely release of their courageous sons.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great concern 
to recognize the one year anniversary of the capture of three Israeli 
soldiers. Over one year ago, Hezbollah terrorists infiltrated into 
Israeli territory and attacked two IDF armored jeeps patrolling the 
border with Lebanon, killing three soldiers and kidnapping two: Eldad 
Regev, 26, of Kiryat Motzkin and Ehud (Udi) Goldwasser, 31, of 
Nahariya. Weeks earlier, on June 25, Gilad Shalit, 20, of Hila, was 
abducted by Hamas in the Gaza strip.
  As an original cosponsor of House Resolution 107, a resolution which 
calls for the immediate and unconditional release of these Israeli 
soldiers held captive by Hamas and Hezbollah, I was extremely pleased 
that it passed the House unanimously on March 3th of March. This 
critical piece of legislation demanded that Hamas release Israeli 
soldier Gilad Shalit, and required Hezbollah accept the mandate of 
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 to release Israeli 
soldiers Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.
  My efforts to assist in the release of these soldiers began in July 
2006 when I wrote to American Red Cross' Interim President Jack McGuire 
urging the American Red Cross to apply pressure to the International 
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to assess the well-being of these 
three Israeli soldiers. In that letter, I admonished Hezbollah and 
Hamas for continuously failing to accede to basic standards of 
humanitarian conduct and denying competent medical personnel and 
representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross access 
to the Israeli captives.
  Hezbollah's and Hamas' blatant disregard for international law and 
the malicious uncertainty they have unleashed on the captured soldiers' 
families is simply heartless. This obvious disrespect for humanitarian 
law warrants an international response. Having met with Karnit 
Goldwasser, the wife of kidnapped Israeli soldier Ehud Goldwasser, I am 
even more committed to advocate for the plights of these brave 
soldiers.
  I will continue to intensely oppose terrorist activities that 
compromise human life to advance a drastic agenda. These illegitimate 
actions only solidify the United States' commitment to support Israel 
as the only true democracy in the Middle East and achieving peace in 
the region.
  Over the past few years, we have watched violence in Israel and the 
Palestinian territories spiral out of control. Clearly it is time for 
the United States to become more actively engaged in the region. While 
we continue to consume ourselves with our own war against terrorism, we 
cannot forget that Israel has been waging its own war against 
terrorism, as well as its own fight for democracy, for more than 55 
years. Today, I stand with my colleagues in sending a message to the 
people of Israel: The support Israel enjoys from the United States is 
stronger today than it has ever been.
  I will continue to lend my vigorous support and unwavering commitment 
to the welfare and survival of the State of Israel as a Jewish and 
democratic state with secure borders.
  We cannot remain silent on this grave issue: we owe it to these brave 
soldiers, their families, and to ourselves. Silence would only tell the 
rest of the world that these actions have become acceptable. I urge my 
colleagues to continue to unequivocally condemn these acts and pray for 
the return of these brave soldiers and peace in the region.
  Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.

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