Steny on Israel

[vraiblonde]

Hoyer: America Must Support Israel's Right of Self-Defense
Whip Says Disarming Hezbollah is Essential to Middle East Peace

WASHINGTON, DC - House Democratic Whip Steny H. Hoyer (MD) made the following remarks yesterday on the House floor in favor of the bipartisan House resolution condemning the recent terrorist attacks against Israel and supporting Israel's right of self-defense. The measure will be voted on today in the House.

"Mr. Speaker, I strongly support this bipartisan resolution condemning the recent terrorist attacks against our nation's staunch democratic ally in the Middle East - Israel - and supporting Israel's inherent right of self-defense. And, I urge members on both sides of the aisle to support this resolution, as well.

"Israel is absolutely justified in undertaking the defense of its territory and its people. As the Israeli columnist Ari Shavit recently wrote, Israel's actions are 'not a war of occupation, but rather a war of defense. Not a settlements war, but rather a Green Line war. A war over the validity of an international border that was drawn, defined and recognized by the United Nations.'

"No one should be mistaken: The actions taken by Israel over the last eight days have been a direct response to the premeditated, unprovoked attacks of Hamas and Hezbollah - terrorist organizations which are underwritten and encouraged by the Syrian and Iranian governments.

"Palestinian militants, including members of Hamas, dug a tunnel 300 yards inside Israeli territory. And when, on June 25, militants emerged from that tunnel, they killed two Israeli soldiers, wounded three and kidnapped one. Then, last Wednesday (July 12), Hezbollah terrorists crossed Israel's internationally recognized northern border, and in a brazen daylight attack killed three Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two. Another five Israeli soldiers were killed by Hezbollah terrorists when they tried to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades.

"Mr. Speaker, these premeditated, unprovoked terrorist attacks on Israel are absolutely indefensible. One can only imagine the American response if a terrorist group attacked and killed American citizens from just across our border.

"It also must be noted that Israel has exercised great restraint over the last year, during which Palestinian militants have launched more than 1,000 rockets from Gaza into Israel and Hezbollah has launched four separate attacks into Israel. While I am convinced that Israel is using every possible effort to avoid civilian casualties, it is clear that the terrorists in Hamas and Hezbollah purposely stage their actions from within civilian communities, thereby putting civilians at grave risk.Furthermore, while Israel makes every effort to minimize civilian casualties, it is clear that the terrorists of Hamas and Hezbollah deliberately attempt to maximize such casualties by indiscriminately firing rockets upon Israeli population centers.

"Mr. Speaker, as a first step toward restoring calm, it is absolutely imperative that Israel's soldiers in Gaza and Lebanon be returned unconditionally and unharmed, and that indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas and Hezbollah cease immediately.

"It also is long past time for the international community to facilitate the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559, adopted in September 2004, which calls for the Lebanese army to control southern Lebanon's border and for all militias - including Hezbollah - to be disarmed. So long as the international community fails to ensure the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1559, I believe Israel - as a sovereign nation with an inherent right of self-defense - has every right to strike armed terrorists which seek her destruction. Disarming and disbanding terrorist organizations is essential to Middle East peace."

 

[frstabbo]

Restraint..that is laughable. 2 guys get "kidnapped" and they destroy the country. Lebanon needs help in disarming the terrorists and destroying it will do nothing for Isreal. Many children have died and are dying for these 2 soilders.. They created a disaster now in lebanon with nations scrambling to get their citizens out.

 

[Toxick]

Many children have died and are dying for these 2 soilders.. They created a disaster now in lebanon with nations scrambling to get their citizens out.

How many Israeli children have died because of carbombs, sucide-bombers, terrorists and the like. Israel's enemies have never had any problems destroying innocent civilians - including children - and they've been doing it a lot longer - why aren't you complaining about that too?


The fact that they haven't carpet-bombed these people into nuclear rubble is "restraint".

 

[vraiblonde]

Restraint..that is laughable. 2 guys get "kidnapped" and they destroy the country. Lebanon needs help in disarming the terrorists and destroying it will do nothing for Isreal. Many children have died and are dying for these 2 soilders.. They created a disaster now in lebanon with nations scrambling to get their citizens out.

It annoys me beyond belief when people spew about things they have no knowledge of. This means you.

 

[Coaster]

Restraint..that is laughable. 2 guys get "kidnapped" and they destroy the country. Lebanon needs help in disarming the terrorists and destroying it will do nothing for Isreal. Many children have died and are dying for these 2 soilders.. They created a disaster now in lebanon with nations scrambling to get their citizens out.

No, not just 2 soldiers kidnapped. What did Isreal gain from evacuating the Gaza Strip? Rocket attacks by terrorists using the newly aquired land, 'trading land for peace' didn't work.
'Help' Lebanon disarm the terrorists? Lebanon has done nothing on it's own, except raise a toast to more future attacks.
What that means is that those who start trouble will have a lower price to pay than if those they attacked were free to go all out in their counter-attack. Lowering the price to be paid by aggressors virtually guarantees more aggression.

 

[frstabbo]

You are the know it all I guess..The Palestinians could justify attacking the military post because the Israeli army has been using it and other fortified positions to fire hundreds of shells into Gaza that have contributed to some 30 civilian deaths over the preceding weeks. Israel could justify launching its mission into Gaza because it blames the two men it seized for being behind some of the hundreds of home-made Qassam rockets that have been fired out of Gaza, mostly ineffectually, but occasionally harming Israeli civilians in the border town of Sderot.

So why was the Palestinian attack, and not the earlier Israeli raid, an escalation?

 

[frstabbo]

Never mind that Gaza’s borders, airspace, electromagnetic frequencies, electricity and water are all under continuing Israeli control, or that the Palestinians are not allowed an army, or that Israel is still preventing Gazans from having any contact with Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Meetings of the Palestinian parliament have to be conducted over video links because Israel will not allow MPs in Gaza to travel to Ramallah in the West Bank.

These factors might have helped to explain continuing Palestinian anger..Who is justified?? you tell me my friend..

 

[MMDad]

You are the know it all I guess..The Palestinians could justify attacking the military post because the Israeli army has been using it and other fortified positions to fire hundreds of shells into Gaza that have contributed to some 30 civilian deaths over the preceding weeks. Israel could justify launching its mission into Gaza because it blames the two men it seized for being behind some of the hundreds of home-made Qassam rockets that have been fired out of Gaza, mostly ineffectually, but occasionally harming Israeli civilians in the border town of Sderot.

So why was the Palestinian attack, and not the earlier Israeli raid, an escalation?

Do you even know what you're talking about? Never mind. You obviously don't You don't even know who is fighting there, or what they are doing!

Are you ignoring the fact that a Hezbollah rocket hit Nazareth yesterday and killed two young boys? Or does that not fit your agenda?

 

[Commune]

I respect both sides of the argument and although I'm more conservative than I am donkey, I'd have to say more would come of these posts if you guys didn't immediately attack someone for having a different point of view. frstabbo has some decent points. For me it's all starting to boil down to the fact that these people, and it's not just these two countries, have been killing each other for hundreds and thousands of years. Let the US be involved with this action through the UN ONLY. I'm not that big a fan of the UN myself, but us being 'friends' with Israel is only hurting us in the rest of the mid east conflicts. The real problem is that Israel is surrounded by people that don't like them. Pretty much they're #### out of luck. I don't think we should let them be taken over or destroyed as a people, but any money spent over in that area could better be served on our own hungry, diseased, needy people versus them. Don't get me wrong... if someone threatens the US, take them bastards out, but we're letting our little friend get us into more trouble than we need.
You want to talk about serious ####? What if Iran got involved and launched some missles at Israel or vice versa. Israel has always maintained that they won't allow Iran to have nuclear capabilities. Then the US, as Israels big brother, has to step in and take the punches. We start spreading ourselves too thin and then N. Korea steps across the border into S. Korea because they see us getting spread too thin and they're crying that we aren't paying attention to them anymore. We don't need that ####.
We have enough #### on our plate now to make poop sandwiches for years.

 

[Mikeinsmd]

Restraint..that is laughable. 2 guys get "kidnapped" and they destroy the country. Lebanon needs help in disarming the terrorists and destroying it will do nothing for Isreal. Many children have died and are dying for these 2 soilders.. They created a disaster now in lebanon with nations scrambling to get their citizens out.

Oh for crying out loud!!!

Is Vrai paying you to be entertainment?? You're a riot!!

 

[Bustem' Down]

I think we should support Isreal with words and that's it. They can take care of thier own crap for all I care.