On the recordJune 9, 2010
I appreciate your organizing this hour of special order and giving us the opportunity to speak about the Gaza flotilla incident and to speak in support of one of our Nation's closest allies, Israel. While the full details of the incident aboard the lead ship that came in under the flotilla is still under investigation, it is apparent that the organizers of the flotilla intentionally sought to confront Israeli security forces and to defy the embargo of Gaza that was established by Israel and Egypt. The organizers, the activists, as they called themselves, rejected means offered by Israel--that has been talked about tonight--to deliver the humanitarian aid used by internationally accepted organizations, including the Red Cross, repeatedly, to get that aid to Gaza. The resulting altercation and loss of life could have been avoided had the organizers of the flotilla agreed to Israel's repeated offers for them to dock at one of their ports and allow the overland transfer of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Israel has the right to defend and protect herself. The blockade of Gaza exists particularly because it needs to prevent arms being smuggled into Gaza and to protect the citizens of Israel, who have been the subject of thousands of rocket attacks launched by Hamas since 2005.
