Shelley Berkley: “Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 2005, Israel voluntarily withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Making incredibly painful…”

“Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 2005, Israel voluntarily withdraw from the Gaza Strip. Making incredibly painful concessions, the Israeli Government forced its own citizens to abandon their homes, businesses, and synagogues in Gaza in the hope that the Palestinians would use this opportunity to build a functioning state, to demonstrate that they were capable of self-governance. Instead, Hamas burned down those homes and businesses and used Gaza as a missile launching pad to attack Israelis who live on undisputed Israeli territory. Hamas does not want a Palestinian state. Its mission is to destroy Israel. That is painfully clear. First, it was Sderot, just a few kilometers from the Gaza, a constant barrage of short-range, imprecise missiles falling indiscriminately and occasionally hitting a school or a home or a child in Sderot. Now Hamas has longer range missiles acquired from Iran, and they have now hit Ashkelon, a thriving city of 120,000 men, women, and Israeli children. What next? Tel Aviv? Jerusalem? How many Israelis have to die before Israel is justified in defending its citizens? Instead of applauding Israel for standing up to Hamas, the world denounces this democracy at every turn.”