[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10990-10991]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 ISRAEL

  (Mr. REICHERT asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. REICHERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support 
for Israel and its right to defend herself and her people against 
potential terrorist threats.
  As the world watched, Israel took action to prevent a flotilla from 
reaching the Gaza strip because Hamas terrorists could have smuggled in 
weapons that would be used to take the lives of innocent people.
  Israel is a good friend and a true ally to America. We must not turn 
our back on Israel at this critical time. We must stand with them. We 
must support them and their right to protect and defend the safety of 
their people and the sovereignty of their nation.
  The Israeli Government just announced the decision to appoint an 
independent public commission to review the circumstances surrounding 
the flotilla raid. This commission will be headed by a retired Israeli 
judge and will include two Israeli experts in international law and two 
high-ranking foreign observers. This action demonstrates Israel's 
commitment to act within the law and to hold itself accountable in good 
faith to the international community.

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