[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6237]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     FORMER PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker and my colleagues, I rise to condemn the fact 
that former President Jimmy Carter on Friday is going to Damascus to 
meet with the senior Hamas leader. This is really a disgrace, and, 
frankly, I think that Jimmy Carter embarrasses himself by doing so.
  Hamas is a terrorist organization. It is designated a terrorist 
organization by both the United States and the European Union. Hamas 
has been responsible for the murders of 26 Americans, and I would like 
to read the names and I would like to submit into the Record this list 
of the 26 Americans that have been murdered by Hamas:
  Yitzhak Weinstock of California, Nachshon Wachsman of New York, Sara 
Duker of New Jersey, Matthew Eisenfeld of Connecticut, Ira Weinstein of 
New York, David Boim of New York, Yael Botwin of California, Leah Stern 
of New Jersey, Malka Roth of New York, Judith Greenbaum of New Jersey, 
Marla Bennett of California, Benjamin Blutstein of Pennsylvania, Dina 
Carter of North Carolina, Janice Ruth Coulter of Massachusetts, David 
Gritz of Massachusetts, Rabbi Eli Horowitz of Illinois, Dina Horowitz 
of Florida, Alan Beer of Ohio, Tzvi Goldstein of New York, Goldie 
Taubenfeld of New York, Shmuel Taubenfeld of New York, Tehilla 
Nathanson of New York, Yitzhak Reinitz of New York, Mordechai Reinitz 
of New York, David Applebaum of Ohio, and Nava Applebaum of Ohio.
  Twenty-six American citizens killed by Hamas, and yet Jimmy Carter 
would shake the hand of the leading Hamas terrorist with blood on his 
hands. Shame on Jimmy Carter.
  Today Jimmy Carter was in the West Bank and met with another Hamas 
leader and laid a wreath at the grave of Yasser Arafat. Isn't that 
really something?
  Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, does not renounce 
violence and terrorism, and refuses to abide by all previous agreements 
signed by previous Palestinian Governments. And yet Jimmy Carter would 
shake the hands of murderers and terrorists with blood dripping from 
their hands. It's no wonder that the Daily Star in Lebanon has an 
article today saying ``Jimmy Carter, a Fool on a Fool's Errand.'' It's 
surely disgraceful. This is a new low.
  Jimmy Carter wrote a book, ``Palestine: Peace not Apartheid,'' and 
fabricated portions in that book. I spoke with the former leader of the 
Carter Center, who said he was with Jimmy Carter on a number of these 
meetings and the accounts that Jimmy Carter wrote in his book were 
absolutely incorrect and falsified because he was in the meetings with 
Jimmy Carter and took notes.
  So I just want to say that I think all freedom-loving people ought to 
condemn any kind of meetings with terrorists. To meet with terrorists 
only encourages them to do more terrorism so that they can be players. 
It's truly a sad day when a former President of the United States will 
shake hands and greet the leading terrorist, the leader of the leading 
terrorist organization, Hamas, a man who was responsible for the deaths 
of 26 Americans, countless more, with blood dripping from his hands. It 
is truly a shame. I believe that we should all condemn it.
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
  Mr. ENGEL. I yield to the gentleman from Florida.
  Mr. WELDON of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman 
for the courage and the leadership that he is providing on the very 
important issue of standing up for Israel and the right of Israel to 
survive and how much I have enjoyed working with the gentleman from New 
York on this issue and for him to come to the floor and make these 
comments and voice my total agreement with the sentiments that he is 
stating here tonight.
  This is a very, very important issue. Israel is a key ally of the 
United States in the war on terror. And now is the time for us to stand 
together with the people of Israel, and I want to commend the 
gentleman.
  Mr. ENGEL. I thank my friend from Florida, and I want to return the 
compliment. It has been a pleasure working with him in doing everything 
we can to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, two democracies with 
shared values and shared beliefs, and it's been a pleasure working with 
my friend from Florida.

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