[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Page 26540]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              SELF-DEFENSE IS NOT A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY

  (Mr. QUIGLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House 
Resolution 867, which opposes the enforcement and further consideration 
of the Goldstone Report.
  I have been to Gaza. I have seen the desolation and poverty in which 
the people of Gaza survive. I have also been to Israel. I have seen 
Sderot, which is where civilians have been hammered relentlessly by 
rockets from Gaza. I have seen the fortified recreation center there, 
complete with bomb shelters--the only place children feel safe to play.
  This decades-old battle is complex, and it deserves to be examined, 
but what we cannot do is turn the victims into the perpetrators. We 
cannot forget history. For 8 years, Hamas has continuously fired 
thousands of rockets at innocent Israeli civilians. Israel finally 
struck back, defending itself against an opportunistic enemy.
  I am grateful to Chairman Berman for his leadership on this issue.
  Note: Self-defense is not a crime against humanity, and we must not 
let a deeply flawed report destroy progress made in the peace process.

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