Joe Crowley: “I think more of that information needs to be told to the American people. I think they need to understand exactly what…”

“I think more of that information needs to be told to the American people. I think they need to understand exactly what the size of the state of Israel is and the type of pressure that they have been under for the past 18 months. I think more of the news agencies need to focus not only on single events but on the multiple events that have taken place over the last 18 months. If they could show not just one incident but how over the last few weeks there have been multiple incidents throughout Israel, I think people would begin to get a better understanding exactly what type of threat the Israeli people are really facing. I regret the fact that there is a need for me to even be on the floor this evening to address this important issue, but the events of the last 18 months require a response. Last summer, Chairman Arafat, Prime Minister Barak, and President Clinton were ever so close to reaching an accord to bring peace to the Middle East after decades of violence. Unfortunately, all the progress and the sacrifices made on the part of the Palestinians and Israelis in Madrid, in Oslo, Camp David, and Wye were shattered the moment the first stone was hurled into the air in September of 2000.”