Sean Patrick Maloney: “I returned from Israel this summer inspired by its ability to resist terror. On September 11, Americans learned what it…”

“I returned from Israel this summer inspired by its ability to resist terror. On September 11, Americans learned what it was like to lose friends and neighbors to fanatics on a suicide mission. Israel has been living with terror, and during this trip we got a glimpse of their daily reality. A day after our visit to the border between Israel and Lebanon, a missile killed a 16-year-old boy near where we had been. When we toured Hadassah Hospital, we met with a doctor who had stayed up all night saving a woman's life. She had been struck by a sniper's bullet. Both attacks came during the so-called cease-fire, a time no one was supposed to die. We have a lot to learn from Israel about improving communication, coordination and intelligence. After 9/11 we were supposed to have a governmentwide database on terrorism. Two years later, there are nine Federal agencies maintaining 12 different lists of terrorist organizations. Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East. It deserves our heartfelt support.”