Joe Crowley: “I rise today to express my overwhelming support for Israel's right to defend her people against terrorist attacks. Over…”

“I rise today to express my overwhelming support for Israel's right to defend her people against terrorist attacks. Over the past 6 months, we have seen a relative calm between Israelis and Palestinians due to an Egyptian brokered cease-fire. Unfortunately, however, this calm was used by Hamas to rearm themselves with more technologically-advanced rockets and weapons, which were smuggled through tunnels from Egypt and over the Syrian border. When the cease-fire expired on December 19, 2008, Hamas refused to extend it and began to fire its updated arsenal of rockets deep into Southern Israel. Sadly, rocket fire is nothing new to the Israelis, who have seen 6000 rockets land in Southern Israel since unilaterally withdrawing from Gaza in 2005. Hamas had a choice this past December--extend the cease-fire or continue hostilities. They chose war over peace. Israel was forced by Hamas' action to make a choice too, either live with the threat of rocket fire against her people or take action to keep its people safe from harm. They made the choice any reasonable nation would make--to defend its citizens. It is time for the Palestinians in Gaza to have better representation--representation that puts the peoples' well-being before Hamas' unachievable goals. The U.S. Congress and the people of the United States will not allow a terrorist organization, like Hamas, to destroy the thriving democracy that is Israel. We stand with Israel and her goal of peace.”