Condemning the Recent Attacks Against the State of Israel

CONDEMNING THE RECENT ATTACKS AGAINST THE STATE OF ISRAEL -- (Extensions of Remarks - July 21, 2006)

SPEECH OF
HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA
OF CALIFORNIA
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 2006

* Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I rise to express strong support for Israel's right to defend itself against unprovoked acts of terrorism.

* On June 25, members of Hamas attacked an Israeli army post, killing two Israeli soldiers and kidnapping another, Corporal Galid Shalit. Israel responded with appropriate force, seeking the return of its soldier and an end to rocket attacks coming from the Gaza Strip. Then, on July 12, Hezbollah terrorists attacked an Israeli military unit patrolling the Israeli border south of Lebanon, taking two Israeli soldiers hostage. They also began firing dozens of Katyusha rockets at northern Israel, including Haifa.

* The acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas and Hezbollah created the situation that the world confronts today. Israel could not tolerate such assaults on its soil, against its citizens--no nation would. Israel responded to these acts of war by defending themselves. They entered Gaza and Lebanon to try to rescue their kidnapped soldiers and prevent terrorists from committing further attacks on their homeland.

* Both of these attacks were calculated acts of war--attacks on Israeli soldiers guarding undisputed Israeli territory. The attacks by Hezbollah are blatant breaches of Security Council resolutions 1559, 1655 and 1680, which certified Israel's full withdrawal from Lebanese territory and called for the disarmament of all militias in Lebanon and an end to attacks across the Israel-Lebanon border. Unfortunately, the government in Beirut has not done its part to enhance the security of both nations. In fact, the attacks against Israel are the result of Iran, Syria, and certain factions of the Lebanese Government's inaction towards these terrorist organizations in their country.

* Let's look at the facts. Despite the Security Council resolutions, Hezbollah remains an armed militia group that controls 23 seats in the Lebanese parliament and 2 ministers in the national government. According to the State Department, Hezbollah receives between 30 and 40 million a month in cash, aid and arms support from Iran. Additionally, the State Department reports that Syria is an active partner with Iran in supporting and funding Hezbollah.

* At the same time, the leadership of Hamas recently called Hezbollah's actions ``a heroic operation.'' It is clear that, despite optimism that Hamas would transform into a secular, stable government, it is sticking to its roots as a terrorist organization, supporting and encouraging attacks against innocent civilians.

* Given these facts, I believe it is time for the world community to take action against Hamas and Hezbollah and the nations that support both regimes. The United States should demand that the Government of Lebanon immediately release the abducted Israeli soldiers. The same holds true for the soldier held by Hamas in Gaza. At the same time, we must insist that Iran and Syria immediately cease interfering in the internal affairs of Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories by ending all support for Hezbollah and Hamas.

* The United States must also continue to provide Israel with consistent and broad-based support, since an even greater destabilizing force is developing in the region--a nuclear-armed Iran with terrorist allies in Hezbollah and Hamas.

* I also believe the United States must also play an active role in forging a solution to this conflict and its underlying cause. Let us not forget that it is not only the lives of Israelis, Lebanese, and Palestinians threatened by the fighting. Press reports indicate that approximately 25,000 Americans are in Lebanon, many of whom are trying to leave that war-torn area.

* The best deterrent to future acts of terrorism is the presence a unified world community. In the days ahead, I hope the Bush administration works to build a broad global alliance to deal with the current crisis in the Middle East, which will act as a powerful deterrent against similar acts of terrorism in the future. We cannot afford to let Israel go it alone in this conflict--we need the engagement of the Bush administration and the world community to punish the regimes that support terror, while also supporting the moderate voices in the Muslim world.

* At this time of struggle and great peril, we need to stand firmly with the people of Israel and their government. Our country will stand with the government and people of Israel as they defend themselves. As an independent sovereign nation, Israel has every right to respond to acts of aggression against its homeland and the soldiers who defend it.

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