Patrick Leahy: “each one of us has been horrified at what we have seen on our television sets with the tragedies in Israel. I was at my…”

“each one of us has been horrified at what we have seen on our television sets with the tragedies in Israel. I was at my home and reading the recent account--what I thought was the most recent account of bombing in Israel--when I got a call from somebody in my office who started referring to the terrible bombing in Israel. I said, ``I am reading about it right now.'' He said, ``No; not the one that is in this morning's paper, the one that happened within the last few minutes.'' The shock that fell on everybody in my office, on everybody in my family, and on the family members of those in my office--one of whom lives with his wife and daughter in Israel. I believe that we are witnessing a determined, relentless suicidal attempt to destroy the peace process in the Middle East. It may be predictable. We have seen these attempts before. Fanatical extremists have tried time and again to intimidate and destroy the forces for peace; unfortunately, on both sides. But so far they have failed. I think that Israel today faces its greatest challenge with the handshake on the White House lawn. When Prime Minister Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish fanatic I thought we had reached the low point. But the situation has only deteriorated since then. At least 60 people, innocent civilians, have been killed in the past 9 days alone. The people responsible in an almost obscene perversion seem to take pride in claiming responsibility for the slaughter of men, women, and children.”