Smith Remarks on Conflict in Israel, Calls for Hamas to Accept Cease-Fire

Statement

We must do whatever we can to achieve a cease fire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Hamas led government in Gaza. Hamas must reconsider and accept the cease fire offered by Egypt which Israel agreed to accept. Suffering on both sides has been horrific and we desperately need a solution to stop the fighting.

As a strong supporter of Israel I want to again express my support for the people of that country. For too long they have lived under the threat of missiles falling out of the sky at any moment. The people of Israel long for peace and I continue to pray that someday it will come. I am also in contact with many of my Jewish constituents and my heart goes out to them as many have friends and relatives in Israel and all of them desperately want peace in the Middle East.

I also have enormous sympathy for the people of Gaza. They have suffered throughout this crisis as well, living in unimaginably horrible conditions. Ultimately peace will only be achieved when the Hamas government is rejected and a viable two state solution is agreed to. I know that the overwhelming majority of the people in Israel and Palestine just want peace.

It is my constant prayer that this will be achieved. In the mean time, again, we need a cease fire to stop the current suffering and I will continue to work with the Obama administration to find any way our country can help achieve that goal.

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